Crazy For This Girl
by geekinthepink614
Summary: He wasn't entirely sure why he was so attracted to her; all he knew was that he wanted her. She was going to be his. And, thanks to his Geass, she didn't have a choice.
1. Girl With the Guitar

**Author's Notes: So, this story is more or less what happens when you mix 'Gina binge-watches Code Geass' with 'Gina plays way too much Yandere Simulator'.**

 **I was really torn with the direction I wanted the story to go; I wanted to do something cute and fluffy but I also loved the idea of Lelouch as a yandere, especially considering his Geass ability. I decided to do a little of both; yandere in the beginning and switching to something fluffier during the chapters set during R2.**

 **I want to preface this by saying that this is not a 'love at first sight' story; this is an 'infatuation at first sight eventually leading to a very unhealthy and rather lustful obsession before finally settling into love' story. Lelouch is going to be reasonably OOC for this story but I'll do my best to stay true to his core character.**

* * *

Suzaku sighed as he made his way to the Student Council clubhouse. It was challenging enough balancing his military duties with his studies, but now he had Zero and his network of terrorists to contend with. Suzaku understood Zero's desire to change Britannia; he was working toward the same thing himself. However, attempting to do so through senseless violence and pointless killing was only going to breed more of the same.

' _How ironic,_ ' he thought. ' _Attempting to end the cycle of hatred and violence by becoming a soldier._ '

Suzaku was pulled from his thoughts by the nearby sound of a guitar. He couldn't recognise the song but the tune was a rather melancholy one and he was consumed with a desire to hear more of it. He glanced around but wasn't able to see anyone playing. When he listened closer, he noticed that the sound was coming from behind a rather large tree on the campus, not far from the clubhouse.

He approached the tree quietly and, upon rounding it, he found the source of the music. A female student sat beneath the tree, her auburn hair tied back into a messy ponytail and her eyes closed as she strummed on the guitar. Upon closer inspection, Suzaku realized that he recognised this girl; she sat next to him in class, but he didn't know her name. She rarely spoke outside of answering questions in class and she always left immediately after dismissal, so he had been under the impression that she was antisocial. The sad song she was playing begged something more,though, and now he was beginning to suspect that there was a lot more to her than that.

The girl finished her song with a soft sigh before carefully packing her guitar back into its case. Her head jerked suddenly in Suzaku's direction as though she had just realized he was standing there. She let out an undignified squeak of surprise and he had just enough to register the look of panic in her light grey eyes before she quickly gathered up her guitar and made a hasty exit.

"No, wait!" Suzaku called out. "You don't have to run...off..." It was too late; the girl was already a fair distance away from him. He considered chasing after her but concluded that it would only succeed in making her more nervous.

' _I'll see her in class tomorrow anyway,_ ' he thought as he turned and walked into the clubhouse. ' _I'll talk to her then._ '

* * *

Sure enough, when Suzaku arrived in class the next morning, he caught sight of a familiar messy ponytail in the seat next to his. When he sat down next to the girl, he noticed that her eyes were closed yet again and a pair of dark green headphones rested over her ears. Common sense would normally dictate that trying to start a conversation with someone wearing headphones wasn't a good idea, but Suzaku was far too curious to let this opportunity slip by. Besides, once class started, he wasn't sure when he'd get another chance.

"Hey," he greeted as he gently tapped the girl's shoulder.

The girl's eyes flew open and she glanced around for a moment before her eyes finally landed on him. "Hey..."

"Listen, I'm really sorry if I startled you yesterday," Suzaku apologized.

The girl sighed as she moved her headphones so that they rested around her neck. "Don't worry about it. I shouldn't have just run off like that. I wasn't expecting to have an audience while I played, so seeing you standing there threw me a bit." She paused for a moment. "How long had you been standing there?"

"A little while," Suzaku replied. "I was on my way to the Student Council room when I heard you and I couldn't stop myself."

"Wonderful," the girl groaned as she rested her head on her arms.

"If it helps at all, I really liked your song," Suzaku offered.

The girl quirked an eyebrow. "You did?"

Suzaku nodded. "Yeah. What song were you playing, anyway? I hadn't heard it before."

"Oh, it was just...something I came up with on the fly," the girl replied shyly as she glanced away from him.

"You wrote it on the spot? How were you able to come up with something so quickly? And how were you able to play it so well with your eyes closed?" Suzaku asked.

The girl shrugged. "I just play what I feel. You don't have to see to be able to feel, right? Besides, it's easier for me to play when I don't put a lot of thought into it."

Suzaku was about to reply when the bell rang to signal the start of class. "I guess we'll have to finish this talk later. I'm Suzaku, by the way."

The girl nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me. My name's Harley. It's nice to meet you."

* * *

"So Suzaku," Lelouch began as the two cleaned up the kitchen after dinner with Nunnally. "That girl you were talking to today..."

"Harley?" Suzaku asked. "What about her?"

"I was just curious about how you managed to hold a conversation with her," Lelouch replied. "I've been in class with her since I started here and I've never seen her speak to anybody for an extended period of time like that. She always seemed a bit standoffish to me."

"Well, I stumbled across her playing her guitar a little ways from the clubhouse yesterday and I went closer to listen to it. When she noticed I was standing there, she freaked out and ran off before I could say anything to her. I wanted to tell her that I liked hearing her play and apologize for startling her and we just started talking from there," Suzaku explained. "I had the same initial impression of her too, but after talking to her today, I think she's a pretty cool person. I have to admit that I like the way she thinks."

"Wait, you said she was playing near the clubhouse?" Nunnally asked. "I wonder if it was her all this time..."

"Nunnally?" Lelouch asked.

"Sometimes, in the evenings, I can hear someone playing music not too far from here," Nunnally replied. "It's usually a guitar, but sometimes they play the violin. I've never heard anyone singing, but the music they play is always full of some sort of emotion."

Suzaku nodded. "That certainly sounds like Harley. I didn't get around to asking her if she plays any other instruments, but it wouldn't surprise me if she can."

Nunnally smiled before turning her head toward the window. "I think she might be out there now, actually."

"Can you hear her playing, Nunnally?" Suzaku asked.

Nunnally nodded. "I can. Her song sounds happy today. I'm glad; its been pretty sad the past couple of weeks." She paused before turning to Suzaku. "Do you think it would upset Harley if we out to talk to her? I'd like to finally meet her. And if she's as nice as you say she is..."

"I can't see any harm in it," Suzaku agreed. "But we should go now before we miss her."

* * *

The trio found Harley underneath the same tree she had been the day before, her eyes closed once again as she played. Nunnally was right; the song she was playing this time was much happier and far more energetic than before.

"Hey, Harley," Suzaku said quietly as he tapped the girl on the shoulder again.

Harley started slightly as her head jerked up toward Suzaku, but her eyes didn't hold the panicked look they had during their previous encounter. "What's up, Suzaku? Did you come to hear me play again?"

"You caught me," Suzaku laughed. "But at least I didn't scare you this time."

"I was not scared!" Harley protested. "It's not my fault you move like a ninja." She blinked when she finally caught sight of Lelouch and Nunnally. "Hi, there."

"Oh, right!" Suzaku exclaimed. "Harley, these are some old friends of mine, Lelouch and Nunnally."

"It's nice to finally meet you, Harley," Nunnally said. "I've been listening to you play for a long time now, but I've never had the chance to talk to you until now. I really like your music."

A surprised look crossed Harley's face for a moment, only to be replaced with a genuine smile a second later. "Thank you, Nunnally. It's nice to meet you both as well. Even though..." She trailed off for a moment before turning her gaze to Lelouch. "You're in class with me too, aren't you?"

Lelouch nodded. "I am. We've been in the same classes since middle school."

Harley blinked again. "Have we really?"

' _She can't be serious,_ ' Lelouch thought. "You never noticed?"

Harley shook her head. "Sorry, but I haven't. Middle school was kind of a blur for me; I was going through some pretty heavy stuff back then. And now...I guess I've been so focused on music that I haven't really left myself any room to focus on people."

Lelouch quirked an eyebrow. He was tempted to ask what Harley had been going through back in middle school, but Nunnally had steered the conversation back to Harley's music. He had a sneaking suspicion that there was more to Harley than she was letting on; there was an air of restraint around her as she spoke to them, as though she was holding something back. He liked to think that he was reasonably adept at reading people, but he wasn't able to glean much from her beyond the fact that she was hiding something.

Lelouch realized something else as he continued to study the girl: Harley was actually remarkably pretty. Until now, he hadn't had much of a chance to get a decent look at her face; despite being in class with her for years, he didn't even know what color her eyes were until today. Looking at her now, though, he realized that those grey orbs of hers were actually rather stunning and her sweet little smile was nothing short of charming. He could have studied her face for the rest of the evening but her voice shook him from his thoughts and brought him back to Earth.

"Umm... Lelouch? Is everything okay?" Harley asked, an apprehensive look clouding her eyes.

"Huh? O-Oh, um, yes. Everything's fine," he stammered, his cheeks flushing just slightly. "Why do you ask?"

"You've been staring at me for the past five minutes," Harley deadpanned.

Lelouch let out a nervous chuckle. "Sorry about that. I was just thinking that maybe, if you didn't already have plans, you could have lunch with us tomorrow."

Suzaku was caught off guard by Lelouch's suggestion. It wasn't like him to make an attempt to bring someone else into the group. Sure, he'd gone out on a limb for Suzaku, but they had been friends for ages. What were the odds Lelouch would do the same for a girl he had just officially met?

Harley blinked. "Are you sure?"

Lelouch nodded. He wasn't entirely sure why he'd just made the offer out of the blue like that, but he wanted to see Harley again. He was surprised at his own actions but it was too late to back out now. "Yeah. I bet the rest of the Council would really like to meet you."

Harley was silent for a long while and Lelouch was beginning to worry that she was going to decline.

"Please, Harley," Nunnally begged. "I think it would be nice to see you again."

Well...I guess there's no harm in it," Harley agreed. "Okay, I'll join you all tomorrow."

Lelouch was barely able to stop himself from breathing a sigh of relief. He wasn't entirely sure what drew him to this girl; all he knew was that he had an incredibly strong urge to stay near her.

' _You're one intriguing girl, Harley,_ ' Lelouch thought as the four parted ways that evening. ' _I plan on seeing much, much more of you in the future._ '

* * *

 **Ending Notes: I really hope this didn't turn out too terribly awkward. I've never really written anything quite like this before. I'm a firm believer in building an attraction between two characters as opposed to having it start all at once, but I'm trying to branch out a little.**

 **I also know that Harley is an extremely awkward protagonist and she doesn't really show much personality in this chapter; this is entirely intentional and I plan on expanding on her reason for acting the way she does in the next chapter. Her true personality won't shine through until around chapter three, though glimpses of it will be seen in the next chapter. I hope you will bear with me; again, I'm trying something a little different.**

 **Thank you so much for reading and please let me know what you think! Feedback and constructive criticism are always appreciated! Geekinthepink, out!**


	2. Glimpse Behind the Mask

**Author's Notes: Getting some backstory for Harley worked in here as well as a peek at her true personality.**

* * *

Lelouch's eyes never left Harley's form for the entirety of the next morning's classes. He'd noticed that she was able to speak much more easily to Suzaku, largely due to their interactions over the past couple of days, but he could still tell that she was holding something back. He had also noticed a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach that appeared whenever he saw Harley smile or laugh at something Suzaku said. However, he stubbornly refused to admit to himself that he was jealous of his friend or that he was growing more attracted to Harley the more he watched her. When he saw her come into class that morning, he'd noticed just how curvy she was. His violet orbs had trailed from her sweet little face to the swell of her breasts, eventually shifting to the gentle curve of her backside when she turned around. Once again, he questioned why he would feel this strange attraction to a girl he barely knew but those thoughts quickly left his head when Harley leaned forward over the desk just slightly. He barely stopped himself from licking his lips as he thought about bending her over the desk in an entirely different situation. He decided at that moment that he would make Harley his, no matter what.

He was pulled from his thoughts as the bell sounded for lunch to begin. He sent a small smile toward Suzaku and Harley as they headed in his direction.

"I'm going to run and get Nunnally," Lelouch said. "We'll meet you guys in a little bit, okay."

"Alright," Suzaku agreed while Harley nodded her head in response.

* * *

"Are you sure about this, Suzaku?" Harley asked after Lelouch had left.

"Nervous?" Suzaku inquired.

Harley shook her head. "Not exactly. I've never really done well around people I don't know. That's not to say that I don't enjoy meeting new people, though. I just..."

Suzaku blinked when Harley trailed off. "You just what? Are you afraid they won't like you or something?"

"Something like that," Harley replied. "I've had some...issues...in the past being accepted. That's why I usually choose to keep to myself."

"I understand," Suzaku said as he gave Harley a reassuring smile. "I wouldn't worry too much, though. The members of the council accepted me pretty quickly so I doubt you'll have any trouble."

"I hope you're right," Harley said.

* * *

"Hey, Suzaku!" Milly greeted as Suzaku and Harley made their way over to the group. She blinked when she caught sight of Harley. "Oh? Who's this?"

"Harley Brevard," Harley replied, giving a quick nod and small smile in greeting. "Nice to meet you."

Milly smiled back. "I'm Milly Ashford and any friend of Suzaku's is a friend of ours."

"Told you," Suzaku whispered as he and Harley sat down with the others save Lelouch, who had yet to arrive with Nunnally.

"Hey, you're in class with us, aren't you?" the redhead asked. "Oh, I'm Shirley, by the way. Pleasure to meet ya!"

"'Us'?" Harley asked.

"Yeah! With me, Rivalz, and Nina," Shirley replied gesturing to a blue-haired boy and black-haired girl respectively. "Kallen's not here today but she's in our class too. And I don't know if you've had a chance to meet Lulu yet but-"

"She's met him," Suzaku interjected. "It was actually Lelouch's idea that she join us today."

"Is that right?" Milly asked.

Harley nodded. "Yeah. I met him and his sister yesterday. The three of us and Suzaku talked for a while and he invited me to join you all for lunch."

Rivalz looked up suddenly. "Speak of the devil," he said before raising his hand up and waving to Lelouch and Nunnally as they made their way over.

* * *

Lelouch couldn't stop a sigh of relief from leaving his lips when he saw Harley. Given her apprehension about joining them yesterday, a small part of him had been worried that she wasn't going to join them. She was busily chatting with Milly and didn't look up immediately when he and Nunnally joined them, only turning her attention to them when he sat down next to her. Though Harley greeted both of them with a smile, Lelouch couldn't help but be mildly irritated when she focused her attention on Nunnally and not him. He was glad that the two of them got along as well as they did but he was never going to be able to charm Harley if she kept her focus elsewhere. If all else failed, he could just use his Geass and command her to love him but he only intended to use it as a last resort. Lelouch was well aware that he was considered very attractive by just about all the females in the school so charming Harley should be a fairly simple task. Now if he could just get her attention...

"So how did you meet Suzaku anyway, Harley?" Milly asked, pulling Lelouch from his thoughts.

"He heard me playing my guitar the other day and stopped to listen. We started talking to each other from there," Harley explained before turning to Suzaku. "I'm not really sure why you were so fascinated, though. I can't be the first person you've seen playing a guitar."

"No, but you are the first person I've seen playing with your eyes closed," Suzaku retorted.

Nunnally nodded in agreement. "It was amazing. I've never heard anything like it before."

"Are you serious?!" Shirley exclaimed. "You've got to play for us sometime, Harley. Is the guitar the only thing you play?"

Harley shook her head. "The guitar is what I'm best at but, if an instrument has strings, odds are that I'm at least somewhat proficient on it. I've been playing the guitar the longest, though."

"How long have you been playing?" Rivalz asked.

"About since middle school," Harley answered. "My parents were going through a divorce and I started learning how to play to distract myself from it. That's a big reason why I chose to enroll in Ashford Academy instead of staying in the Homeland."

"I'm so sorry to hear that," Nunnally said with a frown.

"Yeah, that's gotta be pretty rough," Rivalz added.

"It's not as bad as it sounds," Harley replied. "As hard as it was at the time, I realize now that the divorce was the best thing that could have happened to my parents. They were fighting almost constantly and I was starting to get dragged into it. It wasn't easy adjusting to splitting my time between both of them, but they get along much better now and they've both been present in my life even after the divorce."

Milly smiled. "Sounds like you have a really good relationship with them."

Harley nodded, a small smile decorating her face as well. "I couldn't ask for more loving or supportive parents. I don't get to see my dad as often as I'd like since his work keeps him in the Homeland for the most part, but my mom has a second home in the Tokyo Settlement so she comes by to visit fairly often."

"What kind of work does your father do?" Suzaku asked.

"He designs and builds Knightmare Frames," Harley answered simply.

"Hang on a sec," Rivalz said. "Your father builds Knightmares and you said your last name was Brevard... You wouldn't happen to be related to Count Anthony Brevard, would you?"

Lelouch couldn't keep the surprised look off of his face. Anthony 'Tony' Brevard was one of the heavy hitters in Knightmare technology. He'd been behind the more recent Sutherland designs as well as the Gloucester's that Cornelia and her circle piloted. The man was a genius and he'd managed to build a very successful business empire with the technology he'd created. The man was also well known for being rather eccentric and outright refusing to follow most noble protocol to the point that most normally forgot the man was a Count. His gaze shifted back to Harley only to see that the apprehensive look had entered her eyes again.

Harley was silent for a long while before finally nodding her head. "Yes. Anthony Brevard is my father."

' _I wonder if this is what she was hiding,_ ' Lelouch thought. ' _Not only does this make her landed nobility, it also means that she's the heiress to one of the most successful weapons development companies in the world._ '

"Wow, that's incredible, Harley!" Shirley exclaimed. "How come you never said anything about it before?" She blinked. "Oh, but if it's too personal...

"It wasn't a big secret, if that's what you mean," Harley said. "Dad's done his best to keep me out of the press but that's only because I told him I didn't want people here to treat me differently because of my lineage."

"Is that why you keep to yourself the way you do?" Lelouch asked. "You don't want people to make the connection?"

"That would make sense," Rivalz added. "Besides, I've seen your dad at press conferences and I'd never guess you two were related. You seem so down to earth compared to him."

Harley laughed. "Trust me, I'm more like my dad than you know. My mom comes from another noble family that's pretty well known for their eccentricity, so I'm getting it from both sides of the family. That's the real reason I tend to avoid other people; it's not that I don't like people, I just don't want them to be put off when they realize how quirky I am. As for my title, I'm not really all that concerned about people finding out. I'd just rather not have to worry about whether or not people like me for who I am or for my bloodline."

"Well, you don't have to worry about any of us saying anything," Nunnally said. "I do have to ask you, though, with regard to how strange you think you are... Are you happy being that way? Because if you are, there's no point in hiding it. All you're doing is making yourself unhappy and that's no way to live."

Harley sighed. "I don't like putting on airs. At all. It's exhausting for me to hold myself back all the time and, to be honest, it makes me feel...almost dirty. I feel like I'm lying to everyone."

"Then why bother putting up a front in the first place?" Suzaku asked.

"Because while I'd rather be my usual, weird self, I don't think I could handle being rejected because of it," Harley explained. "I've had it happen before; people would say they didn't care, but they got tired of my quirkiness after a while. I just-"

Harley was interrupted by the sound of her cell phone ringing. She pulled it out of her bag and took a look at the screen before flipping the phone open. "Talk to me." A pause. "Uh-huh." A slightly longer pause. "What?! Oh my God, that's awful!" Another pause. "Okay, I'll be right there!" And with that, Harley hung up the phone and turned back to the group. "Sorry about that. What were we talking about?"

"Umm, Harley? Is everything okay?" Shirley asked.

"Yeah, why do you ask?" Harley replied.

"Who was that on the phone?" Suzaku asked.

Harley shrugged. "I dunno. Wrong number."

Everyone was silent for a moment before Milly spoke up. "Is this what you meant when you said you inherited your parents' eccentricity?"

"Sort of," Harley replied. "Stuff like that's just the tip of the iceberg. I actually get a lot worse the more comfortable I am with the people I'm around."

"I see," Milly said before immediately turning to Shirley. "We're keeping her."

"Umm, what?" Harley asked as Milly turned to the rest of the group.

"I vote that we make Harley the newest member of the Student Council," Milly announced. "What do you guys think? We could really use a personality like hers."

"I'm for it," Suzaku said before turning toward Harley. "I think it'll good for you, Harley. It's a lot of fun and you won't have to worry about hiding your true self. If you couldn't already tell, we've got a number of strong personalities on the council already."

"I think it would be good for you too," Nunnally added. "I won't lie to you, though; I'm hoping you'll join so I can hang out with you more often."

"You'll be our personal wild card," Milly continued. "I bet you'd be a great person to bounce ideas off of for new events around campus!"

Shirley smiled. "And you don't have to worry about any of us getting 'tired' of your personality. We've been dealing with the Prez for years!"

"What do you say, Harley?" Lelouch asked. "It's your call."

Harley mulled over her options for a long while before answering. "I'll do it."

"Excellent!" Milly cheered as she pulled Harley into a hug.

Before anyone could say anything more, the bell sounded to signal the start of afternoon classes.

"Awww, I guess we've gotta head back," Milly complained as everyone stood up to head back to class. "See you all after classes!"

"Bye, everyone!" Nunnally called as Lelouch walked over to her. "See you all after class!"

* * *

Lelouch shot one last glance in Harley's direction before taking Nunnally to her afternoon classes.

' _You had me worried there for a minute, Harley,_ ' Lelouch though. ' _I was afraid you were going to say no. I was right in thinking you were an intriguing girl and now, thanks to Milly, I'm going to get to see you so much more. It's funny; I actually feel excited to go back to class and for the Council meeting after school. Until then, my little lamb._ '

* * *

 **Ending Notes: So we finally got a look at Harley's real personality as well as some insight regarding her family life. Like I said before, though, Harley's personality won't come out in full until the next chapter.**

 **As for Harley's parents, I do have plans for them both to appear in the story. Some of you may have already caught on to this, but Harley's father is essentially an expy of Tony Stark and I cannot wait to bring him in! Her mother is the older sister of another quirky noble that we all know and love, but I'm not going to tell you who he is just yet.**

 **Hopefully Harley was a little less awkward this time but, as I said, I've never written a character quite like her before so I hope you'll be patient with me. Please let me know what you think, though! Feedback and constructive criticism are more than welcome! Thank you all so much for reading! Geekinthepink, out!**


	3. No Fear

**Author's Notes: I had way too much fun writing this chapter. I'm incorporating the plot of episode eight of R1 into this chapter but it's going to focus primarily on Harley had how she handles hostage situations. I figure that I don't need to repeat what happened in the episode if people have already seen it.**

* * *

Suzaku and Nunnally had been dead-on when they said that joining the Student Council would be good for Harley. It seemed that the more time she spent with the council, the lower her guard dropped. The girl had been showing much more of her true self over the weeks following her induction and she seemed much happier as a result. However, Lelouch only became more fascinated and obsessed the further she ventured out of her shell. His thoughts were consumed by Harley, even during his missions as Zero. The more eccentric Harley allowed herself to be, the more Lelouch wondered how eccentric her interests were in the more private aspects of her life and he caught himself fantasizing about them more often than he would ever admit. He had learned fairly quickly that it didn't do him much good to suppress them as doing so would result in some very erotic dreams that night and he didn't need C.C. making comments.

There was one problem with Harley's change: Since she was no longer spending her energy trying to hide how she really was, she was much more observant of what was happening around her. Ordinarily, the wouldn't be a bad thing but now she was able to catch Lelouch staring at her much faster and much more frequently than she had before. He had done his best to keep from being too obvious but his eyes would automatically drift to her mouth whenever she spoke, her breasts or backside whenever he happened to be within eyeshot of them, or stay trained on her face whenever she wasn't paying attention. As a result, Harley was now far too nervous around him to spend any lengthy amount of time alone with him. She'd managed to form friendships with the other council members quickly enough and she was never rude or hostile toward Lelouch at any point, but the three she was closest with were Suzaku, Nunnally, and Kallen. She would indulge Nunnally's request to play for her after classes sometimes, but even when it was just the three of them, Harley refused to remain alone with Lelouch for very long.

' _This is turning out to be harder than I thought,_ ' Lelouch though. ' _Why is it that the one girl I'm actually interested in is the one that doesn't fawn over me?_ '

* * *

"Hey, Harley!" Shirley called out one evening after classes had let out.

"What is it, Shirley?" Harley asked as she stopped to wait for the redhead to catch up to her.

"The Prez, Nina, and I are all going to Lake Kawaguchi on Sunday," Shirley explained. "I was wondering if you wanted to come too. Suzaku has to work and Lulu said he's going to be busy, so I guess it'll be a girls only trip."

Harley nodded. "Yeah! I'll go. It sounds like fun."

* * *

Harley could not have been more wrong. The girls had no sooner reached the hotel on the lake then they and several others were accosted by a group of Japanese soldiers calling themselves members of the Japan Liberation Front. They had all been rounded up and forced into a food storage unit. After everyone was forced onto the ground, three more soldiers appeared in the doorway. The one in the middle was carrying a sword of some sort while the two flanking him were both armed with guns. The man in the middle looked around at the hostages before speaking.

"I'm Kusakabe of the Japan Liberation Front," he began, his eyes sweeping across the room. "This stand we're taking is for the freedom of Japan and our countrymen. Even though you are not soldiers, you are still Britannians; you are the ones who rule and oppress us. Sit still and be quiet and you'll be fine. If you don't..." Kusakabe's eyes continued to scan the faces of the hostages before they finally settled on Harley. "Is that...? It couldn't be." He made his way over to the girls, causing Nina to shrink closer to Milly. He kept his eyes focused on Harley's. "What's your name, girl?"

"Harley," she replied simply, her eyes never leaving Kusakabe's.

"'Harley' what?" Kusakabe asked, only to let out a frustrated growl when Harley didn't respond. He drew his sword. "I'd recommend you tell me now. Unless you'd like to see one of your little friends sliced up right here."

' _I'm pretty sure this guy's bark is much worse than his bite. Even so, I'm not going to gamble with my friends lives,_ ' Harley thought before speaking up. "My full name is Harley Autumn Brevard."

"The daughter of Anthony Brevard?" Kusakabe asked.

"Yes," Harley confirmed.

Kusakabe smirked as he grabbed Harley's arm. "Thought so. You'll be coming with me."

Shirley grabbed onto Harley's other arm as Kusakabe began to pull her up and away from them. "No! You can't-"

"It's okay, Shirley," Harley said before more soldiers could rush over. "I'll be fine. I need you to trust me on this one, okay."

Shirley's gaze shifted between Harley and the soldiers for a long moment before she finally let go of Harley's arm. "Okay. Just promise me that you'll come back to us."

Harley nodded as she was led away. "Promise."

' _Okay, crisis averted,_ ' Harley thought as she followed Kusakabe out of the room. ' _Now all I have to do is figure out a way to get myself out of this. Fortunately for me, this isn't my first pony show._ '

* * *

"So what are you hoping to gain by taking me with you?" Harley asked a while later from her place on the floor. She had been led to another room in the hotel and her hands had been cuffed behind her.

"Leverage," Kusakabe explained. "Your father may be one of the greatest mass murderers in the history of Britannia, but his technology is state of the art. And I'm sure he'd do just about anything to see his precious daughter returned safely."

"You're honestly expecting my dad to trade some Knightmares in exchange for me?" Harley asked. ' _Okay, so he's not going to kill me as long as he thinks he can get something out of this. That makes this a lot easier._ '

"Not just any Knightmares," Kusakabe corrected. "The latest Knightmares he's designed. From what I understand, their power is unrivaled by anything currently in production. We've tried hacking his company network but the firewall is airtight."

' _Pssh. Even if you morons had managed to hack the network, you wouldn't have found anything. Dad only saves his designs on his personal network until they're actually in production. Besides, there's one unit that I know of that's about equal in terms of power, courtesy of my dear darling uncle,_ ' Harley thought. "Did you try working the shaft?"

"Don't get smart with me," Kusakabe growled. "You realize that I can just force you to tell me what you know, don't you, you little son of a bitch?!"

"Excuse you? 'Son of a bitch'? I am the heiress to a bastard, my good man," Harley retorted. "Besides,you'd just be wasting your time. What makes you think I know anything about the new designs? I'm here and dad's in the Homeland."

Kusakabe took a deep, slow breath. "I only want to know two things out of you, little girl. One, what are the specs of your father's latest Knightmares? And two, what are the weakness of those Knightmare?"

"One, I do not know. Two, I do not care," Harley replied with a smile.

Kusakabe smirked and stood up from the couch. "Is that right? Well, why don't we see what your dear father has to say. I have a few demands to make of Britannia as it is and I'm sure they'd love to know that I'm holding aristocracy here." He walked toward the door, addressing the remaining two soldiers. "Make sure she stays in this room. Feel free to shoot her in the leg if she tries to run but don't kill her yet. We need her alive if we want to negotiate with her father."

"Sir!" the soldiers saluted as Kusakabe left the room.

* * *

"So has Zero explained why we're helping the Britannians?" Ohgi asked as they drove toward Princess Cornelia's blockade. "And what did he mean by all that 'knights for justice' stuff?"

"Who knows? I'm more concerned about why we're risking our necks for the enemy," Tamaki replied.

"We might be able to get something out of this," Minami pointed out. "That nobleman's daughter might prove to be a useful hostage for us as well."

' _I just hope she and the others are okay,_ ' Kallen thought as they drove through the blockade and up to the hotel.

* * *

Lelouch swiftly made his way through the halls of the hotel. He had made quick work of Kusakabe, courtesy of his Geass, and had taken a brief opportunity to speak to Princess Euphemia before excusing himself to 'more pressing matters'. The other members of the group were evacuating the hostages in the storage unit, so Lelouch was able to focus his energy on finding and freeing Harley. He had been able to Geass one of the Liberation Front's soldiers into telling him where the room she was confined in was located and, upon reaching it, he was surprised to see two more soldiers standing outside the door. As he moved closer, he was able to make out what sounded like muffled singing coming from behind the door and exasperated expressions on the soldiers faces.

"You two!" Lelouch called from behind his mask. "Am I correct in assuming that Harley Brevard is being held in there?"

One soldier gave an exasperated sigh. "It feels more like she's holding us here."

The second soldier turned to the first. "What's she singing now?"

"I don't know. I think it was popular a few decades ago," the first soldier replied.

"May I speak to her?" Lelouch asked.

"Fine by us," the first soldier replied quickly. "Anything to get that bitch to shut up for five seconds."

Lelouch couldn't have been more surprised as the two soldiers led him into the room. Harley was standing on top of the small table, singing and twirling herself around. Though she had made some impressive strides in coming out of her shell recently, the side she showed at school was still a far cry from what he was seeing now; he was now certain that she and her father were cut from the same cloth. She showed absolutely no fear and she didn't even acknowledge that they'd entered the room, instead continuing to sing.

"Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye, never gonna tell a lie and hurt you," Harley sang.

"Stop singing, ya stupid Brit!" the first soldier yelled. "I'm not afraid to shoot you in the head."

"Oh please," Harley replied, keeping her back to the soldiers and Lelouch. "I know you have orders to keep me alive. That gun ain't touchin' my buns, hun." She finally turned to face them, only to gain a look of surprise upon seeing Lelouch. "Holy shit, is that Zero?!" She immediately hopping down from the table, pulling her knees to her chest as she did so and looping her arms underneath her so that her still-cuffed hands were now in front of her.

"Hold on! You can't just-" the second soldier began.

"Get out of my way," Harley chirped in a sing-song tone as she shoved the soldiers aside as best she could. Her smile never faded as she walked over to Lelouch. "So you're the infamous Zero. You exactly as tall as I imagined you'd be."

"And you're Harley Brevard," Lelouch replied. "You've caused quite a stir getting captured like this."

"Aww, you make it sound like I did this on purpose," Harley said. "Trust me, getting held against my will for hours without food and having my hands bound like this is most certainly not on my bucket list." She paused for a moment. "Well, if we're being honest here, I don't normally mind handcuffs but the circumstances in which I enjoy them are wildly different from my current situation."

' _Oh baby,_ ' Lelouch though, relieved that he was wearing a mask. ' _Just when I thought she couldn't get any more attractive._ '

"So, what are you planning on doing with me?" Harley asked. "If you're planning on making me your hostage too, let me just give you this warning: if these liberation guys couldn't handle Hurricane Harley, I seriously doubt that you can."

Lelouch shook his head. "Just the opposite, actually. I'm here to free you and get you out of here."

"But you can't-" the first soldier began as the pair advanced toward Lelouch and Harley.

Lelouch turned toward the soldiers, a small piece of his mask sliding back to reveal his left eye. "You two will leave us now."

Both soldiers stopped in their tracks and nodded. "Of course, sir," they said as they left the room.

"I have to ask you, Harley," Lelouch said as he turned back to the girl. "Why did you choose to act so brazenly even though you were being held captive? Weren't you afraid at all?"

"Of course I was, but if you give your captors an inch, they'll take a mile," Harley replied. "Besides, it felt good to cut loose like that. I haven't let myself do that in a while."

Lelouch was about to ask her to elaborate when Kallen suddenly came through the door.

"Zero!" she exclaimed. "We've loaded all the hostages into the lifeboats except for..." She trailed off when she caught sight of Harley. "I see you've already found the last one."

"Good timing, Q-1," Lelouch said. "Take her to the lifeboats as well."

"Right," Kallen replied before turning to Harley. "Come with me. I'll take you back to your friends. The redhead has been asking about you."

"Okay," Harley agreed before turning her gaze toward Zero again. "But before I go..." She grabbed onto Lelouch's hand. "Thank you for saving me and for getting us out of here."

"You don't have to thank me, my lady," Lelouch replied, wrapping his fingers around Harley's hand and lifting it up. "Just make sure you get out of here safely." With his free hand, he lifted up his mask just enough to reveal his mouth and pressed a gentle kiss onto the top of her hand. A rush of pride flowed through him at the pink blush that washed over her face. "Until later, my sweet little lamb."

Harley could only nod dumbly before quickly leaving the room with Kallen.

* * *

"Harley!" Shirley called, immediately latching her arms around the girl once she had settled into the lifeboat with them. "I was so worried!"

"Are you okay?" Milly asked. "They didn't hurt you, did they?"

Harley shook her head. "They threatened to a few times but they never followed through. They wanted to get some Knightmares from my dad so it wouldn't have done them much good to hurt me too badly. What about you guys?"

"We're fine," Milly replied. "It would've been much worse if Princess Euphemia hadn't intervened, though."

Harley was about to ask what Milly meant when a deafening explosion shook the area and the hotel began to sink. One by one, the lifeboats floated out onto the lake and away from the hotel, a large boat sailing out of the wreckage as well. From place in the lifeboat, Harley was able to see Zero clearly but she wasn't able to make out the figures behind him.

"My dear Britannians," Zero announced. "Have no fear. All of the hostages from the hotel are safe and sound. I, Zero, return them to you unharmed." Spotlights suddenly lit up the front of the boat and a group of people in black uniforms could be seen standing behind Zero. "People! Fear us or rally behind us as you see fit! We are the Black Knights! We of the Black Knights stand with those who have no weapons to wield, regardless of whether they be Elevens or Britannians. The Japan Liberation Front cowardly took innocent Britannian civilians hostage and then mercilessly executed them. It was a wanton and meaningless act and therefore they have been punished, just as former Viceroy Clovis was punished for ordering the slaughter of countless unarmed Elevens. We cannot stand by and allow such cruelty to be carried out, and so we made him pay for his actions. I will not repudiate battle on a fair and level field, but neither will I tolerate a one-sided massacre of the weak by the strong. The only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed! Wherever oppressors abuse their power by attacking those who are powerless, we shall appear again, no matter how mighty or how formidable our foe may be! Those of you with power, fear us! Those of you without it, rally behind us! We, the Black Knights, shall be the ones who stand in judgment of this world!"

' _Fighting the strong on behalf of the weak? I know I've heard this story before,_ ' Harley thought before her eyes drifted back to Zero. Another pink blush washed over her face as she recalled his kiss to her hand and she was relieved that it was too dark outside for her friends to see. ' _I've never been one to believe in fairytales. But I can't help but believe in him._ '

* * *

 **Ending Notes: I am so happy I finally got this out here! I've been itching to introduce the real Harley. The girl's troll levels are over 9000. When I was planning this chapter, my thought process was 'What would someone who gives zero fucks do in this situation?'**

 **In the upcoming chapters, Lelouch's interactions with Harley are going to get a bit more disturbing and he's going to become much more possessive of her. Just a heads up.**

 **Please let me know what you all think. Do you like Harley's true personality? Do you hate it? Do you think I rushed it? Feedback and constructive criticism are always welcome. Thank you all so much for reading! Geekinthepink, out!**


	4. Late Night Visits

**Author's Notes: I don't really have too much to say at the beginning here, so let's get started!**

* * *

"Umm... What's going on here?" Harley asked as she walked into the Student Council room, taking a bite out of an apple. "Why is Lelouch tied to a chair? And why are you all dressed like cats?"

"It's Arthur's welcome party," Kallen replied. "And apparently Milly decided that we all needed to dress up."

"Speaking of which," Milly cut in as she draped an arm around Harley's shoulders, taking her apple from her and setting it on the table. "I've got a special costume for you, Harley! Come with me; I kept it hidden because I wanted to surprise you with it!" She then proceeded to drag Harley into the next room.

Shirley sighed as she glanced over at the door Harley and Milly had disappeared behind. "You know, as big a pain as the hotel jacking was for us, I bet its been an even bigger pain for Harley."

"What makes you say that?" Rivalz asked.

"Now everyone knows who she is," Shirley replied. "She's been hounded even worse than we have."

"She doesn't really seem too bothered by it, though," Kallen pointed out. "Everyone knows she's a Brevard now, so she doesn't have to hide who she really is. She seems more relieved than anything, if you ask me."

"That's not entirely true," Suzaku argued. "Ever since her identity was revealed, Harley's had a legion of admirers swarming her. That's the only part about all this she's ever complained to me about."

' _What admirers?!_ ' Lelouch though angrily. ' _And why does she only talk to Suzaku about things that are bothering her?!_ _ **I'm**_ _the one that saved her; she needs to be talking to_ _ **me**_ _!_ '

"How is having admirers a bad thing?" Rivalz asked. "Seems like something most people would want."

"Not when most of them are only interested in your title," Suzaku replied. "Besides, Harley's told me that she's not willing to be with someone that wouldn't give her the time of day until they realized who she was."

' _That's my girl,_ ' Lelouch thought, sighing in relief as his friends finally untied him from the chair.

"Come to think of it, Harley hasn't really shown much interest in dating since she's been at Ashford," Shirley observed. "As far as I know, she's never had a boyfriend."

"That makes sense," Rivalz replied. "Nobles don't usually date around. Besides, Harley might already be engaged to someone."

' _What?!_ ' Lelouch mentally exclaimed. He was well aware that nobles were frequently betrothed at early ages, but he hadn't considered it a possibility where Harley was concerned. Now that he _was_ forced to consider it...it wasn't an idea he wanted to entertain. ' _No. No, it's not possible. She'd never do something like that. My sweet little lamb would never hurt me so badly. She'd never run off with some other man. But...what if it's true? I'll just have to find out who he is and get rid of him. That should be easy enough-_ '

"For the record, you couldn't be more wrong," Harley said as she and Milly came back into the room.

All of Lelouch's thoughts stopped when he got a good look at Harley's costume. Its design was identical to Milly's; a one-piece with a long tail accompanied by thigh-high stockings and a pair of kitty paws and ears. The difference was in the colors; while Milly's costume was black and white with pink trim, Harley's was solid white with fluffy white trim. Milly had also added a few whiskers and a little pink nose to Harley's face.

' _And just when I thought she couldn't get any cuter,_ ' Lelouch mused as he walked over to the table.

"I'm not engaged to anyone," Harley continued. "Dad's absolutely against arranged marriages considering how his fell apart and he promised me that he'd never force me into one. I've never dated simply because I've never been interested; never been kissed, either. Besides, it's not easy to find someone that can handle Hurricane Harley."

' _That's the truth,_ ' Lelouch agreed. ' _She'd certainly be a handful. Or..._ ' He tilted his head slightly when Harley turned to say something to Shirley, giving him a nice view of her rear. ' _I guess I should say two gorgeous handfuls-Wait a second! She just said she'd never been kissed. Those sweet, beautiful lips are still innocent and untainted. Surely that means the rest of her body is too!_ ' He licked his lips at the thought. ' _It'll all be mine soon enough._ '

"Umm... No offense, Prez, but what's so special about Harley's costume?" Rivalz asked. "It looks just like yours, just in a different color."

"That's why it's special!" Milly replied. "She and I are a pair! Nothing's cuter than twin kittens, right?"

"We are mother-licking adorable!" Harley agreed.

* * *

"You sure do love cats, don't you, Harley?" Lelouch observed, walking over to Harley as she played with Arthur.

"Always have," Harley replied, smiling up at him. "Dad's allergic to them, so I wasn't allowed to have one when I was little."

"Did your mother let you keep one after your parents divorced?" Lelouch asked.

Harley laughed. "Yes and no. Since I've been here at Ashford, I can't really take care of a pet. My mom's butler adores cats, though, and he has a bit of a problem when it comes to taking in strays, so mom's estate is full of them. She never actually gave him permission to take in all those cats but she hasn't done anything to make him get rid of them."

Lelouch blinked. "How many cats has he taken in?"

Harley thought for a moment. "Last time I tried to count them all, I lost track at fifteen."

' _So not only does eccentricity run in her family, but it looks like they make it a point to keep eccentric staff as well,_ ' Lelouch though, his gaze never leaving Harley's form.

"What is it?" Harley asked.

Lelouch shook his head. "Nothing. It's just... I think this is the first time you've ever spoken to me without sounding tense."

"Oh. You noticed that, huh?" Harley asked, rubbing her arm sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

Lelouch smiled before gently resting his hands on Harley's shoulders. He had wanted to embrace her so badly, to hold her close to him and never let her go, but he didn't want to force her too far out of her comfort zone. He was, however, pleasantly surprised when Harley made no attempt to move away from his touch. "Don't worry about it. I have to ask, though; what makes today so different?"

Harley smiled, reaching up to touch the cat ears on top of Lelouch's head. "Well, kitty ears do have a tendency to make anything a little less intimidating. Cuter, too."

There was no mistaking the bright red blush that flooded Lelouch's face at her words.

* * *

' _It's not enough_ ,' Lelouch thought as he sat in his room that night. After putting Nunnally to bed, he'd retreated to his bedroom. After checking to make sure that C.C. wasn't nearby, he pulled out the apple Harley had been munching on earlier and proceeded to lick the marks left behind by her teeth, occasionally pressing his lips to the bite marks. Though the thought of indirectly kissing her like this was thrilling, he knew it paled in comparison to kissing her actual lips. Sighing, he stood and walked out of his room, exiting the building a short time later.

He was ecstatic when he'd heard Milly mention that Harley lived in one of the single dorm rooms; a roommate would only cause him problems and he didn't want to use his Geass unless it was absolutely necessary. He already knew which room was Harley's; he'd seen her sitting next to her window and playing her guitar on multiple occasions. However, despite what C.C. had said, he was _not_ stalking her; he was merely observing her from a distance in an attempt to determine the particulars of her day-to-day life and make note of any patterns and adorable habits he saw. Stalking was something insecure men did when they didn't know how to talk to a woman they liked. If this afternoon was any indication, he told himself, he was able to talk to Harley just fine and she even seemed to be warming to him a bit. It was only a matter of time before he was able to win her hand and they could run away to get married.

Lelouch was mildly surprised when he saw that Harley's window was open. He peeked inside, only to smile warmly when he saw her asleep on the windowsill with her guitar on her lap.

' _It's a good thing I decided to stop by,_ ' Lelouch thought as he carefully hoisted himself through the window and into Harley's room, lifting her guitar off of her lap and placing it on its stand. ' _Who knows what kind of lunatic could have gotten in here if I hadn't shown up._ '

"You really should be more careful, my darling," Lelouch cooed as he gently scooped Harley into his arms and carried her to her bed. "What if I hadn't been here to protect you?" He couldn't keep the smile from his face as Harley snuggled into her pillow after he'd pulled the blankets over her. A small part of him, the part that had a drop of common sense left, knew that he should leave before Harley woke up and caught him, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. He quietly pulled her desk chair next to her bed and sat down, content to watch her sleep.

After a moment, his gaze was drawn to what looked like a black binder half hidden underneath Harley's bed. Curiosity getting the better of him, he picked up the binder and opened it. He was both surprised and elated at what he saw.

' _It's full of pictures of Zero. Looks like I've already managed to get my hooks in her after all. True, she's not admiring the real me but it's a start,_ ' he thought. ' _I thought I imagined the blush on her face when I kissed her hand, but I was right after all._ '

Lelouch's thoughts were pulled away from the binder as Harley shifted in her sleep, rolling onto her side and facing him. He slowly eased himself out of her chair to kneel next to her bed, his face now mere inches from hers. Her sleeping face was absolute perfection and he couldn't stop himself from taking out his phone and taking a few pictures nor could he stop himself from reaching out and running his fingers through her auburn hair. He felt his heart rate pick up significantly when Harley pushed her head into his hand. He considered for a moment before deciding that if Harley hadn't woken up yet, she probably wouldn't wake up for what he was about to do next, either.

"You have nothing to worry about, you know," he whispered into her ear. "No one will ever take you from me. I'll be right here. I'll always protect you. You don't need anyone else."

Lelouch continued to whisper to Harley and pet her hair until a noise outside snapped him back to reality. Reluctantly, he stood and planted a kiss on Harley's forehead before leaving out the same window he entered from, shutting it behind him.

' _As badly as I want those beautiful lips of yours, sweet lamb, I don't think now is the right time. I want our first kiss to be perfect. I look forward to more nightly visits, my love._ '

* * *

"Your obsession with that girl isn't healthy, you know," C.C. commented later that night. "For her or for you."

"It's not an obsession, witch. I love her," Lelouch retorted. "And she loves me, too."

"Just because she has pictures of Zero doesn't mean she loves you. Or Zero, for that matter," C.C. pointed out. "Zero saved her life, so it's natural that she'd admire him. I can even understand a small crush forming because of it. That isn't love, though."

"What do you know about love, anyway?" Lelouch asked.

"More than you, apparently," C.C. deadpanned.

"Just shut up," Lelouch ordered as he lay down to go to sleep. He smiled when he flipped his phone open to the pictures he'd taken of Harley that night.

' _Don't listen to her, Harley,_ ' he thought. ' _I know you love me. And I love you. And we're going to be very happy together. However, if anyone says otherwise...I'll just have to get rid of them._ '

* * *

 **Ending Notes: We've finally got a tiny spark of friendship between Harley and Lelouch before he goes and ruins the mood by being the creepiest of creepy stalkers. It's going to get more disturbing before it becomes anything remotely resembling love. You know what they say: It's gotta get worse before it gets better.**

 **Please let me know what you think! Feedback and constructive criticism are always welcome! Thank you all so much for reading! Geekinthepink, out!**


	5. Comfort

**Author's Notes: We've got a bit of a rollercoaster with this chapter. It goes from slightly creepy to kinda sorta fluffy before going right back to creepy.**

 **I'm probably only going to be writing a few more yandere-ish chapters before the story shifts into fluffier territory, primarily because I've only got so much of R1 left to work with. However, I do plan on splitting the ending into a 'good' or 'bad' ending depending on what type of ending the reader prefers: yandere or fluffy.**

 **This particular chapter starts before the Battle of Narita and goes all the way up through Mao's defeat.**

* * *

Lelouch barely suppressed a growl as another male classmate approached Harley as she sat down for class. Ever since Suzaku had mentioned Harley's 'admirers', Lelouch had kept an ever closer watch over the girl. It was already bad enough that she gave most of her attention to Suzaku, but at least he never made any sort of move on her; their relationship, while close, was clearly platonic. That was one worry off Lelouch's back, but now he had to make sure none of the other idiots in the school managed to take her from him. After all, they could never appreciate Harley the way he did. They wanted her but not in the same way that _he_ wanted her. They were clearly only interested in dating a nobleman's daughter, but he loved Harley and was absolutely addicted to the way she made him feel. They didn't deserve her; she needed someone who could treat her right.

However, Lelouch had managed to play the situation to his advantage; he'd managed to convince Harley to allow him to escort her to and from class in an attempt to keep other males from approaching her. She had readily accepted his offer and he'd been relieved to learn that Harley was almost as irritated with the entire thing as he was. Because of this, Harley was beginning to warm up to him even more. She'd even referred to him as her friend on more than one occasion, a fact that brought him far more joy than it should have. Though it still irked him to see other men flirting with his sweet lamb, getting them to stop was a simple matter.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" Lelouch asked the boy that had been talking to Harley once classes had ended, pasting a polite smile on his face as he did so. He needed to get this done quickly before Harley could reach him.

"Yeah, sure," the boy agreed. "What's up?"

"I need to ask you a favor," Lelouch continued as he activated his Geass. "I'm going to have to ask that you never speak to Harley Brevard again."

"Right, no problem," the boy replied robotically, his eyes rimmed in red, as he slowly turned and walked away.

"Hey, Lelouch!" Harley greeted, walking to his side just as the other boy left the classroom. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," Lelouch replied, his smile turning genuine as he looked down at her. "We'd better get going. The Prez said she had some important announcement she wanted to make about the school festival. Something about a pizza, I think."

"Right," Harley agreed, smiling up at him as well as the pair walked out of the classroom. "Thank you, by the way. You know... I really appreciate you helping me out lately. I'm sure you've got better things to do."

"You don't have to thank me," Lelouch replied. "We're in the same classes so it's not like it's an inconvenience or anything. Besides...I don't like seeing you upset."

Harley blinked before her smile widened and she pulled him into a quick one-armed hug. "You're awesome. And if there's anything I can ever do to help you out, just let me know, okay."

Lelouch could only nod, a blush washing over his face at the hug. Harley pulled away much too quickly for his liking though, and he cursed himself for not responding faster. Still, the fact that she now felt comfortable enough around him to initiate physical contact excited him. ' _Oh, I can think of plenty of ways you can 'help' me, darling, but that can wait for now. I'll be heading to Narita soon, so I'll just have to savor whatever time you and I can spend together._ '

* * *

The past few days had been absolute hell. Though the Battle of Narita had ended in victory for the Black Knights, it had opened up a can of worms that culminated in Lelouch being forced to erase himself from Shirley's memories. He'd managed to convince the rest of the council that he and Shirley had gotten into a fight and that they should play along with her 'playing strangers' until she got over it. The guilt he felt over the entire situation had been eating at him for some time, but spending time with Harley and Nunnally kept him from being completely consumed by despair.

He was surprised to see Harley sitting on the couch in the Student Council room, her headphones covering her ears and a troubled look on her face. She seemed lost in her thoughts; she didn't seem to notice that he'd even come into the room. Lelouch approached the table, gently tapping Harley on the shoulder. The girl glanced up suddenly before giving him a small smile and pulling the headphones from her ears.

"Sorry about that, Lelouch," Harley said. "I didn't hear you come in."

"Don't worry about it," Lelouch replied. "I just wanted to ask you everything was okay. You look like something's bothering you."

Harley's eyes widened a bit, but she didn't say anything.

"You can always talk to me if something's bothering you, you know," Lelouch said as he sat down next to her. "I won't force you, though. And I know you normally go to Suzaku when you-"

"I can't go to Suzaku about this," Harley replied suddenly. "In all honesty, I'm not really sure _who_ I can go to about this."

"Why not?" Lelouch asked.

Harley hesitated before finally answering. "It's...It's about Zero."

Lelouch's eyes widened in surprise, but he did his best to keep the rest of his face neutral. "I see. Well, if you want to talk, I'm happy to listen. It's not going to do you any good to bottle up whatever it is, especially if it's bothering you as much as it looks to be. And you don't have to worry; I promise I won't repeat any of what you tell me."

Harley considered for a long moment. Even though she'd become more comfortable around Lelouch lately, she still hadn't been able to shake the feeling that there was something off about him. However, she wasn't entirely sure _what_ she thought was off about him and, given how sweet he'd been to her lately, it was starting to make her feel guilty. She was beginning to think she might have misjudged him; it could've just been that things between had been awkward because he was so used seeing her as withdrawn and aloof. Maybe he just didn't adjust to change as quickly as the rest of their friends did and was having a tougher time getting used to her true self. Besides, she couldn't really talk when it came to someone acting oddly; that was something she was quickly becoming known for on campus.

' _He's been nothing but kind to me since I've known him, even if it was a little awkward at first,_ ' Harley thought. ' _Maybe it's time I placed a little more faith in him._ ' She looked up and nodded to Lelouch. "Okay. I'll trust you. Remember that hotel jacking a while back?"

"Kind of hard to forget," Lelouch replied.

"Well, Zero was the one that saved my life," Harley continued. "I don't know how he did it, but he managed to convince the soldiers guarding me to let me go and then had one of the Black Knights take me back to other hostages so we could board the lifeboats before the hotel sank into the lake."

"So you admire him for saving you," Lelouch said, recalling what C.C. had told him before.

"Yes," Harley agreed. "But there's more to it than that." A wave of pink washed over her face. "Before I was taken back to the hostages, I thanked him for saving me and he kissed my hand in response. And I don't know if it's because adrenaline was pumping through me like crazy at that point or if it's because I've always been a sucker for really old-fashioned gestures like that, but I've had a bit of a crush on him ever since."

"I see," Lelouch replied, somehow managing to keep his face neutral to hide how excited Harley's explanation had made him. "I understand why you couldn't go to Suzaku with this, but I don't understand why you think this is a bad thing. Seems perfectly natural to me."

"It's just that...even though I know Zero and the Black Knights were the reason Shirley's father was killed, I still can't see them as the bad guys," Harley elaborated. "I guess I'm just feeling a little guilty that I still have this crush on the man that inadvertently killed my friend's father. Know what I mean? I feel like it makes me a bad person."

"It doesn't," Lelouch replied immediately, wrapping an arm around Harley's shoulder and pulling her against his side. "It doesn't make you a bad person at all. It just means you're open-minded enough to see both sides of the situation."

"So you don't think my little...thing for Zero is bad, either?" Harley asked.

"It can't be helped," Lelouch replied. "Personally, I can understand why you'd feel the way you do but I can also understand why you'd want to keep this quiet. You're not a bad person, Harley. And what you feel isn't bad, either. You shouldn't question whether or not what you feel is right." Recalling C.C.'s comments again, he added, "You shouldn't let others make you question your feelings, either."

"I understand. Thank you, Lelouch," Harley said, dropping her head onto his shoulder. "I'm really happy I talked to you."

' _Not as happy as I am,_ ' Lelouch thought as he began gently running his fingers through Harley's hair as well as he could; the fact that it was tied up into its usual ponytail made it a little difficult.

"What are you doing?" Harley asked.

"O-Oh," Lelouch stammered, quickly pulling his hand away. "When I was younger, my mother used to pet my hair like that when I was upset. It always made me feel better, so I thought it might make you feel better, too. I'm sorry. I guess I should have asked you first, huh?"

"Why didn't you say so?" Harley asked as she lifted her head off of his shoulder. "It's probably hard to do with my hair tied up like this." She sent a small smile before taking her hairband out, letting her auburn locks fall freely into place.

"You're okay with me petting your hair? It doesn't bother you at all?" Lelouch asked as Harley dropped her head back onto his shoulder.

Harley shook her head, smiling when Lelouch picked up where he left off. "Not really. I love it when people play with my hair. If it's done right, it'll put me straight to sleep."

"Is that right?" Lelouch asked, making mental notes of everything she was telling him. "You don't really strike me as someone who likes a lot of physical contact."

"Well, I only really enjoy it from people I trust," Harley explained. "I also really like being cuddled too, especially when it's cold out."

"You don't say...," Lelouch mused absently. He continued petting Harley's hair, reveling in her happy sighs and gentle nuzzles to his shoulder. He almost got her to drift off to sleep, only to be interrupted when the rest of the group entered the room to start the council meeting. He fumed silently throughout the meeting, upset at being interrupted. However, Harley giving him one last hug before leaving for her dorm room that evening washed any negativity away from him.

* * *

A couple nights later found Lelouch climbing through Harley's window as she slept once again. He'd made it a point to visit Harley whenever things were getting to be too stressful for him. Her presence had a very soothing effect on him, even if she wasn't conscious while he was there. Tonight was one such night. He was relieved to finally have the whole ordeal with Mao behind him now, but the thought of his sister nearly getting blown up because of his carelessness had shaken him deeply. He took up his usual position beside Harley's bed, taking comfort in her nearness.

After a moment, though, he noticed that just being next to her wasn't enough, not with how stressed he was. He took a moment to weigh his options before taking off his shoes and climbing onto the bed, laying down next to Harley. He'd learned through his previous visits that Harley was a pretty heavy sleeper and didn't wake up very easily, so the likelihood that she would catch him was slim. He carefully pulled the blankets down to Harley's waist before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her against his chest. He began running his fingers through her hair, whispering to her as he so often did.

"I've had a rough couple of weeks, my love," he told her. "But I'm glad I'm able to spend this time with you. You always seem to know how to make me feel better." He was pleasantly surprised when Harley rolled over in her sleep and snuggled herself against his chest. "I guess you weren't lying about being a little cuddle bug, huh? I'd stay like this with you forever, if I could." He sighed, one hand reaching underneath Harley's tank top to gently stroke her stomach. "I love you so much, Harley. You know that, don't you? And you know that I'll always keep you safe. You don't need any other man in your life; you only need to be mine...forever."

He continued to hold Harley and pet her bare stomach for a few more hours, fighting off the temptation to spend the night in his current position. As badly as he wished he could wake up to Harley's sweet face, he knew he would have a hard time explaining if someone caught him leaving through Harley's window. He let out a heavy sigh before untangling his limbs from the girl, carefully climbing off of her bed, and sliding his shoes back on. Before leaving, he took a moment to glance around the room.

Lelouch had also made it a point to bring back a little 'souvenir' from each of these nighttime visits, resulting in a small collection of items from Harley's room. With the exception of her toothbrush, the item was always something he was sure Harley wouldn't miss; a water bottle she'd been drinking out of, a nearly-empty bottle of the perfume she always wore, and an orange hoodie that she admitted she hadn't worn in the past year were just a few of his favorites. The hoodie was especially important to him; he'd sometimes sleep with it, nuzzling his nose into it to inhale Harley's natural scent. He was wondering what he should take back with him when his fell on her dresser. He slowly walked over to it and stared for a moment before pulling one of the drawers open.

He was not disappointed at what he found. He'd been wondering for quite a while what type of underwear Harley preferred and now he had his answer: lacey. Most of them were a pastel shade, likely because she wore them with her school uniform, but he also saw that a number of them were much darker. He took a particular liking to a royal purple pair and considered bring them back with him, but then he noticed the matching bra that went with them. He didn't want to take a matching set with him; Harley would most likely notice they had gone missing. However, he managed to find a pair in a darker shade of purple with black trim that didn't appear to have a bra that matched it.

' _Looks like someone isn't nearly as innocent as they appear to be. Right, darling?_ ' Lelouch thought as he pocketed the underwear. ' _Between the comment about handcuffs and your underwear collection, you're turning out to be full of surprises. I bet you're the type of girl that likes getting spanked, too. Well, once I know for sure, I'd be more than happy to oblige you._ '

He turned and walked back to the bed to look at Harley's sleeping face one final time, pressing a gentle kiss to the side of her mouth, before taking off out her window as he had so many nights before.

* * *

 **Ending Notes: Seems like this story gets a little more twisted with each chapter. Oh well, more for Lelouch to be appalled about once we hit R2. And as for what he intends on doing with that underwear...I'm just gonna let you all use your imaginations.**

 **I had originally intended to make the hair petting scene a little longer but I have plans to do a similar scene once the story takes a fluffier turn in R2 to contrast Lelouch and Harley's relationship between that point in the story and this one and I didn't want the R2 scene to be a repeat of the scene in this chapter.**

 **I plan on introducing Harley's mother in the next chapter as well as revealing the other half of Harley's lineage, so I'm really excited about that!**

 **Please feel free to review and let me know what you think! Feedback and constructive criticism are always welcome. Thank you all so much for reading! Geekinthepink, out!**


	6. Mother

**Author's Notes: Holy freakin' crap! We got hit with so much snow this past week! I wasn't able to get my car out of my driveway for about three days! As much as I love living on my own and being by myself, it's not nearly as much fun when it's forced.**

* * *

"Suzaku, could you come here for a moment?" Lloyd asked, still in his suit from the Knighting ceremony. "There's someone here who's insistent on meeting you."

"Umm, okay," Suzaku agreed, making his way through the banquet hall and over to his boss.

Beside the earl stood a regal-looking woman who appeared to be in her late thirties. She bore a striking resemblance to Lloyd, possessing his lavender hair and light eyes, though hers looked to be more grey than blue. Suzaku had caught sight of her standing next to Lloyd during his Knighting, but hadn't been able to determine exactly who she was to him.

"Suzaku, I'd like you to meet my dear elder sister," Lloyd introduced, gesturing to the woman. "This is Rachel Asplund."

"Congratulations, Suzaku Kururugi," Rachel said with a smile. "It's nice to finally meet you. I've heard nothing but wonderful things about you."

"The pleasure's all mine, Lady Asplund," Suzaku replied, returning the smile before turning to Lloyd. "You told your sister about me?"

"Of course he didn't," Rachel answered, wrapping an arm around her brother's shoulders and pulling him into a vice-grip one-armed hug. "It's like pulling teeth to get him to tell me anything about his work. And please, dear, call me Rachel."

"That's because I can't risk you spilling the beans to Tony," Lloyd said breathlessly as he struggled fruitlessly to get away. "He and I have had a long-standing rivalry to see who can build the most powerful Knightmare. You two might be divorced but you get along well enough."

"Then how-" Suzaku began, only to gasp as the pieces fell into place. "Wait a second! You're Harley's mother?!"

Rachel laughed. "The one and only!"

"Lloyd, why didn't you tell me Harley was your niece?!" Suzaku exclaimed. "I know I've mentioned her before."

Lloyd shrugged, having finally broken free of his sister's grip. "You never asked me."

Suzaku sighed. "Fair enough." He looked back to Rachel. "If I may ask, Rachel, what brings you to the Tokyo Settlement? Harley told me that both you and her father were living in the Homeland."

"That's true, but the Asplund family owns a vacation home in the Tokyo Settlement," Rachel replied. "Tony wanted to make his way over here after that whole mess at Lake Kawaguchi to make sure Harley was really okay, but he kept getting held up with his business. I thought he was taking too long, so I decided to come myself. And when my dear baby brother told me about your Knighting, I simply had to come along."

"That's great!" Suzaku said. "I bet Harley's really excited you're here."

Rachel shook her head. "She doesn't know I'm here. I was planning on going to Ashford today to surprise her. You're more than welcome to ride with me if you'd like, Suzaku." She smiled at him sheepishly. "You'll probably have more luck finding my daughter than I will. I've yet to attempt to navigate that campus without getting lost."

"I see your sense of direction hasn't improved at all," Lloyd remarked dryly.

"I don't _need_ a sense of direction," Rachel scoffed. "I have Sebastian for that."

"Sebastian?" Suzaku asked.

"My butler," Rachel explained. "He's been in my service for quite some time. Very capable man, that one." She glanced off to the side. "Speaking of which..."

"Are you ready to go, mistress?" A tall man with shoulder length black hair and hazel eyes asked as he approached Rachel. "I've brought the car around, so we can head to Ashford whenever you'd like."

Rachel nodded, turning toward the man. "Yes, Sebastian. Let's go." She took a few steps before looking back to Suzaku. "Are you coming with us, Suzaku?"

"Oh, umm, yes, I'm coming," Suzaku replied, hurrying after them.

* * *

"Are you alright, Harley?" Lelouch asked. He'd been fortunate enough to stumble upon the object of his desires when she was feeding Arthur by herself. "Seems like you've been a bit distracted recently."

"Oh, n-no. I'm okay, really," Harley mumbled, though Lelouch didn't miss the pink blush dusting her cheeks or the fact that she didn't meet his eyes when she spoke to him. "It's just..."

"Just what?" Lelouch asked, sighing when Harley remained silent. He walked over to her as she stood up, resting his hands on her shoulders. "You know you can trust me, Harley. I've told you before that you can always talk to me if something's bothering you."

"I know," Harley replied. "I-It's just..."

"Is it about Zero again?" Lelouch asked, his smile widening slightly when Harley's blush darkened and she turned her head away. "I'll take that as a 'yes', then. Tell me what's been going on."

Harley sighed. "It's just that...lately I've been having these...these dreams about Zero. Ordinarily I wouldn't think too much of them, but they're so frequent and so vivid..."

"Is that so?" Lelouch mused, winding an arm around Harley's shoulders and pulling her against his chest. He was happy that she didn't pull away, likely due to her flustered state, but he was also a bit disappointed that she didn't respond to his hug. "Tell me more."

"They all go more or less the same way," Harley began, shifting slightly against Lelouch and still refusing to make eye contact. "It's usually just him whispering little sweet nothings to me. He tells me he'll protect me and I don't have to worry as long as I'm with him." She sighed again, turning her head further away. "Lately, he's been getting a little more...physical, though. When the dreams started, he'd just pet my hair and kiss my forehead, but...more recently...he's taken to petting my stomach and kissing my neck."

"And do you enjoy it when he does these things?" Lelouch asked, trying to keep his voice steady and hide how excited he was getting.

Harley nodded. "Immensely. It doesn't make any sense to me, though, since I've only interacted with the guy one time. Maybe it's the intrigue and mystery surrounding who he really is that draws me." She let out a quick laugh. "Or maybe I'm just sexually repressed. I've had fantasies about having my first time in the cockpit of a Knightmare."

' _Makes sense, considering how much time you've probably spent around them. I'd be more than happy to help you_ _with that, my darling,_ ' Lelouch thought, his grip on her tightening just slightly.

"I'm sorry to dump all of this on you, Lelouch," Harley apologized. "It's just that you're so easy to talk to. Besides, it makes me feel a little better to have someone know. Just please don't tell anyone about this Zero stuff, especially not-"

"Harley! There you are!" Suzaku said as he walked through the doorway, startling the girl and causing her to pull out of Lelouch's arms. "We've been looking everywhere for you."

"'We'?" Harley asked, only to gasp when her mother and Sebastian came through the door as well, immediately running over to them. "Mom? And Bassy? What are you two doing here?!"

"Is it that surprising that a mother would want to come and surprise her beautiful little girl?" Rachel asked as she pulled Harley into a tight hug. "What kind of mother would I be if I didn't come to check up on you, especially after all that's happened?"

"And naturally, wherever my mistress goes, I go as well," Sebastian added. "Though I must say that it is delightful to see you again, Harley."

Harley laughed. "Fair enough. But how do you guys know Suzaku?"

"We were at his Knighting ceremony with your uncle Lloyd earlier today," Rachel explained. "I had come to Japan to surprise you but when I heard that your friend was being honored, I simply had to attend. Isn't that right, Sebastian?" She blinked when said butler remained silent. "Sebastian?"

The man in question was currently frozen in place, staring at Arthur with a very light blush decorating his face. The cat stared back at him for a moment before hopping off of his place on the couch and padding over to Sebastian to rub against his leg.

"Tell me, whose adorable feline is this?" Sebastian asked as he picked Arthur up, the cat purring happily in his arms.

"He's a stray that the Student Council took in," Suzaku replied as he walked over to Sebastian. "I guess you could say he belongs to all of us." Suzaku reached out to attempt to pet Arthur but, as per the norm, the cat bit down on his hand before he could make contact.

"Oh dear," Sebastian said, a hint of amusement in his voice as Rachel came over to investigate. "Does that happen often?"

"All the time," Suzaku grunted. "I don't know why I was expecting something different."

' _Sebastian must be the butler Harley told me about before._ ' Lelouch couldn't help but smile at the scene before walking over to Harley and pulling her aside. "Speaking of the council, I'm going to go help them finish setting up for Suzaku's party."

"Shouldn't I go with you?" Harley asked.

Lelouch shook his head. "No, you should stay and catch up with your mother. I'll let everyone else know. Just come and join us in the ballroom in about a half hour." He leaned a little closer to her to whisper into her ear. "And don't worry. I won't repeat a word of what you've told me. About anything."

Harley nodded, returning his smile. "Thank you. We'll be at the party in a bit, but please don't hesitate to come and find me if you need my help with anything."

* * *

"Harley, how come you never told me that Lloyd was your uncle?" Suzaku asked as they walked into the ballroom of the clubhouse, Rachel and Sebastian following close behind.

"You never asked," Harley replied simply. "Besides, it didn't seem relevant so I saw no point in bringing it up."

' _It's almost unnerving how similar they are,_ ' Suzaku thought. ' _I can't believe I never picked up on it before._ '

"Speaking of your uncle, Harley, has he mentioned anything to you about his engagement?" Rachel asked. "His fiance is a friend of yours, isn't she?"

Harley nodded. "Yeah, he's marrying Milly Ashford. She's the Student Council president. Honestly, I'm still not sure how I feel about it."

"Why's that?" Suzaku asked.

"Well, it's a little weird to think that Milly's going to become my aunt, especially with how touchy-feely she tends to get," Harley elaborated. "However, Lloyd's only about twelve years older than I am, so I've always seen him as more of an older brother than an uncle. In that respect, it makes him marrying Milly seem a little less strange, since she's kind of like a sister to me too."

"I see," Suzaku replied. "I guess that makes sense."

"Before I forget, dear, there's something important I wanted to tell you," Rachel began as she moved up to walk beside her daughter. "It's almost time for your butler to be assigned to you, Harley. It's already been decided who it will be and I think you're going to be pleased."

Harley immediately jerked her head toward her mother. "Is it Graham? Please tell me it's Graham."

Rachel nodded. "It is. He seemed pretty excited about it too. Though, speaking honestly, I doubt Graham could serve anyone else; not many people outside our family could handle his...quirks."

"You have butlers assigned to you?" Suzaku asked.

"It's an Asplund thing," Harley explained. "See, Bassy's family has served the Asplund family for many generations. Whenever a member of the Asplund family comes of age, a personal attendant is assigned to them. In mom's case, that attendant was Bassy and, in my case, it'll be Graham. Dad has a butler as well, but that's...complicated."

"But Lloyd doesn't have a butler, as far as I know," Suzaku pointed out.

"Having one assigned is optional," Rachel chimed in. "My baby brother decided to forego it. Never really played well with others, at least not until Tony came along."

"Makes sense, I guess," Suzaku said. "But who's Graham? You already know him, so he clearly wasn't just randomly assigned to you."

"That's true," Harley replied. "Graham and I have been friends for a while now. He was the first person around my age that I was able to be myself around."

"That's probably because he's quite possibly the looniest person to come from our family in quite some time," Sebastian commented.

"How so?" Suzaku asked.

"Magnify my personality by ten, add a chainsaw and a ridiculously short temper, and you've got Graham," Harley replied.

Suzaku blinked before looking over to Rachel. "Are you sure you want a person like that guarding your daughter?"

Rachel laughed. "Who better to do so? He already understands how Harley thinks and he's violently protective of the people he cares for as it is. Besides, a person like Graham has no loyalties to confuse; he might get a little head-choppy sometimes, but he's devoted to keeping Harley safe."

Suzaku could only laugh nervously in response.

* * *

"Bad news, Suzaku," Lloyd called as he entered the ballroom with Nina, causing all eyes to turn to him. "You just got even more work to do, I'm afraid."

"Lloyd!" Harley called, rushing over to the earl and latching her arms around him in a tight hug.

"Lloyd, is something wrong?" Milly asked, making her way over as well.

"Oh, do you guys know each other?" Nina asked, glancing between the three of them.

Lloyd smiled and placed his hand on top of Harley's head. "Well, this one here is my dear darling niece. And Milly and I are to be married." He turned his attention to blonde, ignoring the gasps of the students in the room. "Isn't that right, honeybunch?"

Uhh...yeah," Milly replied hesitantly, glancing behind her briefly before turning back to Lloyd.

"Whoa, whoa, what's going on here?!" Rivalz demanded as he ran over to the group. "Who is this guy?"

"Earl Asplund," Milly replied.

"Earl?!" Rivalz exclaimed before turning to Lloyd. "It's an honor, Your Lordship. Now, what did you say your relationship was, again?"

"She and I are betrothed," Lloyd answered simply.

"You were serious, then?" Nina asked as Rivalz proceeded to fall into despair.

"So, do I have military duties, then?" Suzaku asked.

"Yes," Lloyd replied. "An important someone-or-other is arriving by boat and we're off to meet him. Along with the Lancelot and Princess Euphemia, naturally."

"Do you have to leave now?" Harley asked as she let go of her uncle. "You just got here."

"Duty calls, I'm afraid," Lloyd replied. "However, before we go, I would like to tell you that I appreciate you not hugging me to the point of suffocation the way your mother seems fond of doing. I'm fairly certain the bruises aren't going to fade for quite some time."

"I'm just being a good sister," Rachel called out. "But if you want another hug, keep talking."

"I'll have to take a pass on that, I'm afraid," Lloyd snarked, but Suzaku caught a flash of fear enter his eyes at the threat. "Come on, Suzaku. Let's get going. No time to waste."

Suzaku could only stare, dumbfounded, as his boss hurriedly left the room before shaking his head and taking off after him.

' _So Lloyd's biggest fear is his sister's hugs. Who would've guessed?_ '

* * *

 **Ending Notes: I'm so happy I got to bring in Rachel and Sebastian! I've been wanting to for a while but couldn't find a good place.**

 **The next chapter is going to take place during the school festival and I plan on bringing in Harley's father as well as Walter and possibly Graham, so I hope you'll be looking forward to that! I wanted to show Harley interacting with both of her parents (and their butlers, especially Walter) separately because I plan on writing a chapter set in R2 where all three of them are together for a weekend, along with Walter and** **Sebastian, and Lelouch is almost overwhelmed by the insanity of this family.**

 **Please let me know what you think! Feedback and constructive criticism is always welcome! Thank you so much for reading! Geekinthepink, out!**


	7. School Festival

**Author's Notes: Not a whole lot of Harlouch in this chapter. I wanted to focus on introducing Tony, Graham, and Walter. The next chapter, however, will probably be the most disturbing one that I write.**

* * *

"Harley, can I ask you something?" Milly asked as she and Harley finished up some last minute prepping for the school festival.

"Sure, Milly," Harley replied. "Everything okay?"

Milly nodded. "Oh yeah, but I was just wondering if you could tell me a little...about Lloyd."

Harley quirked an eyebrow. "About Lloyd? What do you want to know?"

"I just want to know what he's like," Milly said. "Suzaku only knows him as an employer, but he's your uncle. And, from what I saw at Suzaku's party, you two seem pretty fond of each other."

Harley nodded, a small smile on her face. "I told Suzaku this already, but I've never really seen Lloyd as an uncle. He's only about twelve years older than I am, so he was more like a brother to me. That said, I have to admit that I don't completely understand him; I doubt even my mom completely understands him." She sighed. "Lloyd's a complicated guy, but I never had any doubt that he cares for the people close to him."

"I've heard that he and your father are close friends," Milly said. "I mean no offense, but I'm a little surprised, considering that your father divorced his sister."

"Honestly, I was a little surprised too," Harley admitted. "But Lloyd had a friendly rivalry going on with my dad way before my parents marriage was arranged. Whenever I asked him about it, he just told me that his friendship with dad had nothing to do with his relationship with his sister. I think the fact my parents have managed to stay amiable after the split made it easier, too."

"I see," Milly replied.

"I understand if you're nervous about getting married to him, Milly," Harley said. "But you don't need to worry too much. Lloyd's an odd bird, but you just need to remember that he has a ten foot wall of crap between himself and his emotions. He does care, though; he just has a strange way of showing it."

Milly nodded. "I understand now. Thank you, Harley. I'm glad I talked to you about this."

"No problem, Milly," Harley said with a smile. "Now, how about we finish getting ready for this festival?"

"You got it!" Milly cheered.

* * *

The morning of the school festival dawned bright and early and the entire campus was bustling with people, both students and guests. Everyone was buzzing with excitement about the record-setting pizza that Milly had insisted on and the Student Council members were running themselves ragged making sure everything was going smoothly.

"Harley, Shirley, can you guys help me with something?" Suzaku asked as he approached the two. "Rivalz asked me to get a propane tank for the burner, but I'm not sure where they are."

"No problem!" Shirley agreed with a smile. "I'm pretty sure I know where they are. Come with me, you guys!" She led the group to a storeroom near the main school building. "I'm sure the spare ones are here. Maybe in back."

The three turned and began to walk toward the back of the storeroom, quickly catching sight of a familiar redhead near the panels.

"Kallen? Is that you?" Harley asked.

"Oh, hello. What's up?" Kallen asked with a nervous smile.

"Are there any spare fuel tanks in the back, there?" Shirley asked. "Rivalz needs one for the pizza."

"Umm, maybe they're over on the other side," Kallen replied.

Suzaku nodded and the three turned to check, only to start suddenly when they suddenly heard Lelouch's voice from behind some boxes near where Kallen was standing.

Shirley blinked. "Is that Lelouch?" She turned back and began walking toward the voice, Suzaku and Harley following suite. "Are you here? There's something really important I wanna ask you about."

A sigh was heard and Lelouch made his way out from behind the boxes. "Shirley, can't it wait? I'm very busy as the festival chairman."

"What are you talking about?" Shirley asked. "You're never around in the first place."

The conversation was cut short by Kallen's sudden scream. "The panels are falling! Watch out!"

Shirley and Harley jerked their heads up to see that, sure enough, the stack of heavy black panels was falling toward them. Unfortunately, the two were too stunned to move; the most Shirley could do was let out a frightened screech.

"Don't just stand there, you idiots! Watch out!" Kallen yelled as she dashed forward.

Purple smoke suddenly filled the room and Harley could see Lelouch rushing toward them before something grabbed her from behind. Harley closed her eyes as whatever grabbed her pulled her upward. When she opened them again, she felt arms around her shoulders and waist. She also noticed that whomever was holding her had somehow managed to get from the ground to the top of one of the storage shelves. She glanced down to see that Suzaku and Lelouch had been able to hold the panels up to keep them from crushing Kallen, who had thrown herself over Shirley. She sighed in relief, only to snap her head upward when a voice sounded from above her.

"Oh, honestly," the voice said. "It seems I can't leave you alone at all, can I?"

"No way!" Harley exclaimed, a smile spreading over her face. "When did you get here?!"

* * *

Lelouch let out a quick sigh. He and Suzaku had been able to keep the panels from falling on Shirley and Kallen. Hopefully the rest of the festival would finish without any further incident-wait. Where was Harley?! Lelouch's violet orbs swept over the room in a panic before he heard Harley's voice from above them.

' _Good, she's safe,_ ' Lelouch thought, a sigh of relief leaving his lips as he glanced up at her. His expression changed to one of confusion when he caught sight of the figure holding onto Harley. ' _Who the hell is that?! And why does he think he can touch her so casually?!_ '

The man leapt down from the storage shelf with Harley in tow, setting her back onto the ground once he'd landed. Now that the strange man was standing in the sunlight, Lelouch could see that his long red hair was tied back into a braid that reached his mid-back. Lelouch also noticed that the man had the same hazel-colored eyes as Sebastian.

"So, umm, who's your friend there, Harley?" Suzaku asked as he and Lelouch pushed the panels back against the wall.

"Oh yes, I suppose I should introduce myself," the man said. "I am Graham C. Carter, future butler to Harley Brevard."

"So you're Graham, then," Suzaku replied, a nervous look crossing his face as he recalled Rachel's description of the man. "How did you know Harley was in danger? And how'd you get in here so fast?"

"Please, if I didn't have a sixth sense for this sort of thing, I wouldn't make a very efficient butler now, would I?" Graham retorted. "This runt's been getting into trouble since the day we met. Though I must confess that I always have enjoyed a challenge. And given that my dear Harley is a scion of two high-profile noble families, she's likely to have no shortage of enemies."

"Why do you sound so happy about that?" Kallen asked, casting the man a wary look.

Graham's face suddenly contorted into a psychotic slasher smile. "The more enemies she has, the more chances I get to exercise my skill with a chainsaw, and I'm always prepared to take some heads when the need arises."

Everyone, save Harley, could only laugh nervously in response.

* * *

"So, if you're here, does that mean dad's here too?" Harley asked Graham as they headed through the campus.

Graham nodded. "Yes, and Walter's here as well. When I left them, your father was speaking to your uncle. I can't remember exactly _where_ I left them, but we should find them if we wander around long enough." The pair walked in silence for a little while before Graham spoke up again, his eyes hardened just slightly. "Tell me something, Harley. Who was that boy with the purple eyes?"

Harley blinked. "You mean Lelouch? He's a friend of mine; we're in the same classes. Why?"

Graham shrugged. "Maybe it's nothing, but I'm getting a strange vibe from that boy. You might want to keep your distance from him."

"Honestly, I got a weird vibe from him too when we first met. But he's been nothing but sweet to me since I met him. He's actually helped me figure some stuff out about myself," Harley replied. "I'm starting to think he's just a strange guy but he seems to mean well enough."

"Even so, there's something about the way he looked at you," Graham mused. "I'll trust your judgment for now, but if something ever does happen, he'll have a number of rusty weapons to answer to."

Harley smiled brightly. "Nice to know you're watching out for me, Graham!"

* * *

"Daddy!" Harley called a short time later, launching herself forward and grabbing the man in front of her in a hug. "How have you been?"

"I've found your kid, sir," Graham called from a few steps behind. He wasn't surprised at all that Harley had bolted upon seeing a familiar head of short auburn hair and had been able to fall into place behind her reasonably quickly.

"So I can see," Tony replied with a laugh as he turned around to return the hug, his brown eyes shining with amusement. "I've been well, my little one, but I'm more concerned about you. That mess with the hotel-"

"Was a long while ago," Harley cut in. "And besides, I came out of it alright, so I don't see much point in fretting over it."

"Still, I was about to send Walter over," Tony replied. "He would have made quick work of those terrorists. But then your mother has to go making ridiculous statements like 'there's no way you could get Walter there from the Homeland in time'. The woman's a total buzzkill, let me tell ya."

"She may have had a point though, sir, as much as it pains me to admit it," voiced an older man with blueish-black hair tied back into a ponytail. "I would have loved the opportunity to slice them up, but time was a factor." He turned to Harley and smiled, his green eyes filled with warmth, as he gave a small bow in greeting. "It's a delight to see you again, Ms. Harley. I'm glad to see you haven't let what happened shake you too badly."

"It's nice to see you too, Walter," Harley said, pulling the man into a hug. "And those guys were nothing too special. Seemed like they didn't have any sort of patience; it was way too easy for me to irritate the crap out of them. Once I got started, they didn't try too hard to squeeze any more information about Dad's Knightmare designs out of me."

"Hang on a sec," Tony cut in. "Important question, Harley: Did you tell them to work the shaft?"

"I did," Harley replied.

Tony smiled and patted his daughter's head. "Good work, Harley."

"I rick-rolled them, too," Harley said. "Granted, it was a different set of guards, but it still worked."

"You truly are your father's daughter, Miss," Walter replied.

"Dad doesn't rick-roll people. That's supposed to be my thing," Harley protested.

Walter sighed. "You clearly haven't been to one of his business meetings.

"I don't do that at _all_ the meetings, Walter," Tony chimed in. "Just the ones that need a little livening up. Regular dance breaks are important; nobody likes a man that takes himself too seriously. Just ask that one prince that nobody likes."

"You mean Prince Schneizel, sir?" Graham asked.

"Yeah, that's the one," Tony confirmed, snapping his fingers in recognition. "Never could stand that guy."

"A man after my own heart, I see, but should you really be saying such a thing about a member of royalty?" Lloyd asked, walking over to the group.

Tony shrugged. "Probably not, but that doesn't change the fact that it needs to be said."

Harley smiled as her father and uncle continued bantering back and forth. ' _And that's why I'm confident that their friendship will last a lifetime. Sometimes I wonder if Dad and Lloyd are a better match for one another than Dad and Mom were._ '

* * *

 **Ending Notes: I know Walter isn't terribly developed at this point, but I plan of explaining more about how he came to serve the Brevard family in a later chapter, along with Sebastian's motivation for staying as loyal to Rachel as he is.**

 **I also have a question for you guys: Do you guys think I should write a chapter during the Black Rebellion and have Harley meet Zero again or should I cut to the R2 chapters after the next chapter. I'm really torn since Harley and Lelouch wouldn't have much of a chance to interact with each other during the Rebellion but I'd like to know what you guys think.**

 **Finally, it might be a while before I start it, but I'm thinking of writing an FMA fanfic following the events of the manga. My OC for that story, Sasha (took me forever to pick a name for her), is Roy Mustang's unofficial ward. The kicker is that she's blind. I try to make all my OCs different, but this is going to be a real departure from anything I've ever written. I think it's going to be a challenge to write a character like her but I also think it'll help me improve as a writer. Be on the lookout for it, if you're interested.**

 **Please let me know what you think! Feedback and constructive criticism are always welcome! Thank you so much for reading! Geekinthepink, out!**


	8. Making Strides

**Author's Notes: I'm going to warn you all right now that this chapter is a little disturbing. There's more yandere behavior in this chapter than in any other previous chapter and I don't want to see any flames about this when I've warned everyone ahead of time.**

 **On a more positive note, we've got just one more chapter after this before the chapters based in R2 begin and Lelouch and Harley's interactions become much more fluffy and sweet. I plan to do a handful of chapters during the yearlong gap between R1 and R2 when Lelouch has his memories rewritten that are packed with fluff and adorableness. So far, I've got chapters for a Crossdresser's Ball, Lelouch's birthday, Christmas, New Year's, and Valentines Day planned.**

 **This chapter takes place in the time between the festival and the SAZ massacre.**

* * *

To say Lelouch was irritated would have been the grossest understatement of the year. Between finding out that Suzaku had been the pilot of the white Knightmare that had been causing the Black Knights so much grief and Euphemia's declaration at the school festival, nothing was going according to plan. He could work around the mess with Suzaku, but the SAZ would cause the Black Knights to split apart.

In the back of his mind, Lelouch was also aware that he wasn't any closer to getting Harley to love him. He'd made great strides in gaining her friendship and she wasn't uneasy around him anymore, but it wasn't enough. All he wanted was to see her beautiful grey eyes light up when she caught sight of him and for her to depend on him, only him, to take care of her. However, given how ridiculously independent Harley was, Lelouch knew it wasn't terribly likely that she'd come to depend on anyone, much less him. At least, not unless he resorted to drastic measures. He was determined not to use his Geass on her if it wasn't absolutely necessary; since it only worked once per person, he didn't want to waste it in case something more important came up. However...that didn't mean he couldn't use his Geass to help him win her heart indirectly.

' _I was hoping I wouldn't have to resort to something like this but you aren't leaving me much of a choice, sweet lamb,_ ' Lelouch thought as he made his way into town. ' _I'll prove to you that I can take care of you. But there's something I'm going to need before I do._ '

* * *

The next evening saw Harley sitting outside the clubhouse, playing her guitar for Nunnally as she so often did. The younger girl was listening quietly, a small smile on her face, and Harley had her eyes closed as she played. Harley's eyes snapped open abruptly when she felt Lelouch sit down beside her, his shoulder brushing against hers. She glanced over to the boy and ceased playing when he handed her a glass of water.

Harley quirked an eyebrow, sending Lelouch a questioning glance. "Umm...thanks?"

"Just drink it. You looked like you could use it," Lelouch explained with a smile. "Besides, I'm worried about you overheating in this weather."

Harley smiled back, rolling her eyes playfully before taking a drink. "You'd make such a lovely wife, Lelouch. Do you worry over everyone like this?"

Lelouch shrugged. "Only the ones that are important to me. Besides, I think my worry is pretty well-founded. I'm dealing with someone whose response to being taken hostage is to Rick-roll her captors."

Harley shrugged, taking another drink. "I don't understand why you keep making such a fuss about that. I did not die, if you'll recall."

"Just the same, I'd feel better if you didn't take unnecessary risks like that," Lelouch replied. "You might end up getting yourself hurt."

"I agree with Lelouch," Nunnally piped up. "I don't like the idea of you putting yourself in danger like that, either."

Harley sighed. "I guess there's no point in arguing. But if it makes you two feel better, I'll try to be more careful if something like that happens aga-" She cut herself off as her body rocked forward. She took a moment to steady herself before shaking her head and sitting back up.

"Are you okay?" Lelouch asked, concern lacing his features. ' _Perfect._ '

"I feel really light-headed all of a sudden," Harley replied. "It just...It feels like it came out of nowhere; I was fine a second ago."

"Maybe you should lay down," Nunnally suggested.

"Oh no, I'll be okay," Harley insisted. "I'm sure it was just a-" She cut herself off once more as her body pitched forward again and her vision went dark.

* * *

"Lelouch, what happened?!" Nunnally asked, her voice frantic. "Is Harley okay?!"

"Don't worry, Nunnally, she'll be alright," Lelouch replied as he propped Harley upright and briefly rested his head against her chest. "Her heartbeat's fine and she's still breathing. It looks like she just passed out. This is why I was worried about her overheating."

"What should we do?" Nunnally asked.

"All we can do for now is wait for her to wake up," Lelouch replied, standing and gathering Harley into his arms. "I'll take her to my room and keep an eye on her."

"Okay," Nunnally agreed. "Promise you'll tell me when she wakes up."

"I will, Nunnally. Don't you worry," Lelouch replied with a smile.

* * *

Lelouch couldn't stop a smirk from spreading over his face as he gently deposited Harley onto his bed. "I'm sorry to have to do that to you, Harley. Truly, I am," he began, taking a bottle of sleeping pills out of his pocket and placing them in a dresser drawer. "But that pharmacist was kind enough to give me a chance to take care of you. It's a good thing you got past your uneasiness around me or you never would have taken the water I gave you." He settled himself down on the bed next to Harley, winding his arms around her waist and pulling her flush against him. "And when you wake up, I'll have been watching over you the entire time. I'll have been your guardian angel. Then you'll have to love me."

He began running his fingers through her hair, gently pressing kisses to her cheek and neck. "It won't be long, my lamb," he continued. "It won't be long until we get married. We'll honeymoon in Monaco and settle down somewhere nice and secluded. Maybe somewhere in Ireland. And once we do, we'll have a few kids." He chuckled to himself, shaking his head. "What am I saying? We'll have a dozen, at least." He sighed happily, resting his head against hers and closing his eyes for a moment, only to open them again when he noticed that Harley's forehead felt rather warm.

' _A fever, huh?_ ' he thought. ' _I knew it was a possible side effect of the pills I gave her but I didn't think she'd come down with one this quickly. Not that it matters; I can still make this work to my advantage._ '

* * *

Harley groaned as she opened her eyes, rubbing at them with the back of her hand. As her senses returned to her, she realized that she didn't recognize the room she was in and a cold washcloth was resting on her forehead. She glanced out the window to see that night had fallen, only to turn her gaze to her side when she heard Lelouch's voice.

"Are you feeling any better?" Lelouch asked from his place beside the bed.

"'Better'?" Harley asked. "What happened? Where am I?"

"You passed out when we were sitting outside," Lelouch explained. "Looks like you've come down with a fever as well. Nunnally and I didn't want to leave you by yourself, so I brought you to my room instead of taking you back to yours."

"And have you been with me this whole time?" Harley asked.

"I have," Lelouch confirmed. "I wanted to be sure your fever didn't rise any higher."

Harley sent a small smile his way as she sat up. "Well, thank you. But I should probably be getting back to my room now. I've caused you enough trouble for one evening."

"Hold on a second, Harley," Lelouch said, keeping his face neutral despite how desperate he was to keep her from leaving. "Your fever hasn't broken yet and it's already pretty late. Why don't you just stay here tonight? Tomorrow's Saturday so we don't have to worry about class or anything. You can stay here and rest as much as you need to."

"I don't know," Harley protested. "I appreciate the offer but I don't want to put you out any more than I already have."

Lelouch sighed before moving to sit next to Harley on the bed. "Do you remember the promise you made to Nunnally and me earlier today? You told us you wouldn't take any more unnecessary risks."

"I thought that rule only applied to hostage situations," Harley retorted. "Besides, I don't see how going back to my room would count as a risk."

"Don't be a smartass, Harley. You know perfectly well that we didn't mean for you to only be careful during those kinds of situations," Lelouch fired back. "What if your fever spikes and you pass out again? You don't have a roommate, so nobody would know if you did." He sighed again, running his fingers through Harley's hair once more. "I told you before that you could depend on me, Harley. I didn't just mean as a confidant; I meant that you could rely on me to take care of you when you need it."

Harley smiled again. "You're not going to let up about this, are you?"

"I am not," Lelouch replied, returning her smile. "It's not in my nature, I'm afraid. Besides, it would make me feel better if you stayed."

Harley let out a breathy laugh. "Fine, I concede. I'll stay here, but just for tonight."

' _Good choice, my darling,_ ' Lelouch thought. ' _I can't tell you how close I was to Geassing you into staying. I don't intend to let you go now that I have you so close._ ' He was startled out of his thoughts when he felt Harley rest her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Lelouch," Harley said.

Lelouch quirked an eyebrow. "You're sorry? What for?"

"For being so nervous around you for as long as I was," Harley elaborated, tilting her head just a bit so Lelouch could reach a soft spot on her scalp. "When we first officially met, I thought you were just some creepy guy that stared at me a lot. Even though you were nothing but sweet to me since that day, I was still uneasy. I think I judged you too quickly and I'm sorry for that."

"You don't have to apologize for that, Harley," Lelouch replied, happily obliging her silent request and running his fingers over her scalp. "I was the one who gave you that impression, after all. Since we're on the subject, though, I'd like to apologize for giving you that impression as well. I guess I was just surprised; we'd been in class together for so long and you were always the quiet one. To suddenly see this new side of you was a little jarring, I suppose. Not that it's a bad thing; I like seeing you so much happier and more lively than you seemed before."

Harley glanced up at Lelouch, sending a sleepy smile his way. "I'm glad you think so because it's not going anywhere." She yawned before gently nuzzling his shoulder. "Damn, you are really good at this."

"What? Good at massaging your scalp?" Lelouch asked. "I'll do this for you every day if you like it so much."

Harley chuckled and closed her eyes. "I might have to take you up on that. This feels amazing."

* * *

Harley was asleep in a matter of minutes. Lelouch reveled in her closeness, becoming absorbed in her sweet natural scent and feel of her warm breath against his neck. He sat next to her for the better part of an hour, just watching, before reluctantly getting up. He carefully laid her back down against the pillow and pulled the blankets over her before stopping to watch her sleep for a little longer.

' _I suppose I can consider my plan a success,_ ' Lelouch thought. ' _Something tells me she's not going to let me take care of her unless she finds herself in another situation like this, but I suppose I can't expect to take her autonomy from her entirely. She does trust me considerably more now, though, so it wasn't a total waste of time, and I was able to convince her to stay here tonight._ '

Lelouch studied Harley's face for a moment longer before dropping a quick kiss onto her lips and heading over to his couch for the night.

' _Sleep well, my love,_ ' he thought as he settled down and turned the light off. ' _As much as I'd love to be sleeping with you tonight, I don't want to do anything to shake your reformed opinion of me. We'll take this slow for now but I promise you that I will find a way into your bed and into your heart._ '

* * *

 **Ending Notes: Chapters like this are harder for me to write than they should be. The entire time I was writing this, I just kept thinking 'This shit is not okay'. But I was looking for a challenge and I got one, so I'm not going to complain too much.**

 **I know I mentioned it up top, but I'm really excited for the R2 chapters. In addition to a new dynamic between Lelouch and Harley, I've also some (one-sided) tension between Shirley and Harley since Lelouch's feelings for Harley will be more obvious. I also plan on introducing a potential romantic rival in a certain blonde Knight of the Round. I hope you guys are looking forward to reading them as much as I'm looking forward to writing them!**

 **Thank you so much for reading! As always, feedback and constructive criticism are more than welcome! Geekinthepink, out!**


	9. Reunion

**Author's Notes: I got way more mileage out of the Black Rebellion than I thought I would. Hooray for breakthroughs, I guess?**

 **This is going to be the last chapter set in R1.**

* * *

' _Today's turning out to be a total mess,_ ' Harley thought as she sat next to Nunnally in the Student Council clubhouse. Princess Euphemia's Special Zone had somehow turned into a bloodbath and, in response, the Black Knights had declared war on Princess Cornelia and attacked the Tokyo Settlement. The available members of the council had been keeping an eye on the news coverage, but it was becoming increasingly difficult as the Black Knights began taking over the broadcasting stations.

"Nunnally, did Lelouch tell you where he was going today?" Harley asked.

Nunnally shook her head. "He just said that there was something important he needed to do. He didn't tell me anything about what it was or where he went."

"I see," Harley replied. "I hope he hasn't been caught up in this mess."

Nunnally nodded. "So do I." She looked over at Harley, a small smile on her face. "You're worried for my brother, aren't you?"

"Of course," Harley replied. "Lelouch is a friend and I don't want to see anything happen to him." She quirked an eyebrow when Nunnally's smile widened. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Nunnally giggled. "It's just that ever since you came down with that fever, you and my brother seem to have become very fond of each other."

Harley laughed as well. "Well he _did_ take care of me after I so gracefully passed out in front of you both. I guess it can't really be helped."

Nunnally was about to reply when a commotion sounded from the monitor Milly, Rivalz, and Shirley were focused on.

"What's going on?" Nunnally asked.

"That was the last broadcasting station," Milly replied. "They're all down."

Suddenly, the door to the clubroom was opened and three men rushed in, their uniforms distinguishing them as members of the Black Knights.

"Hands up and turn around!" one of the soldiers ordered. "The Black Knights control the school! All of you are now our hostages."

"Lower your guns!" Rivalz yelled, moving to stand in between the two groups.

"Huh?! That's a hell of a thing to say in this situation!" the same soldier commented.

"Rivalz...," Milly muttered, looking down at the boy in confusion.

"Come on. Let me be cool for once, okay?" Rivalz replied, looking back at Milly briefly before turning back toward the soldiers. "I'll protect everyone!"

"Is that a fact?!" the soldier yelled, raising his rifle and preparing to strike.

"Stop!" a new voice commanded, causing everyone to look toward the source.

' _There's no way. I didn't think he'd show up here, of all places_ ,' Harley thought, her cheeks heating up as her eyes landed on Zero. She also noticed that he was flanked by the red-haired soldier that had gotten her to safety during the hotel jacking.

"I expressly told you to avoid violence," Zero continued.

"Yeah, but you also told us this place was going to be our command center, didn't you?" the soldier replied.

"Your command center?!" Milly asked incredulously.

"Your academy is strategically useful for our purposes," Zero replied. "Therefore, we're turning it into a command center."

"We're in no position to refuse you," Milly conceded.

"I guarantee that none of you will be harmed," Zero assured her.

"Like we can believe you. You guys are at war with us Brittanians, remember?" Rivalz pointed out.

"Please, Rivalz, don't argue," the red-haired soldier replied as she stepped toward them. "Just do what he says." The soldier removed her visor and the group was shocked to see Kallen staring back at them.

"Kallen...," Shirley muttered, unable to say anything more.

"You were a Black Knight this whole time?" Harley asked.

"Well, well, there's a surprise around every corner," Milly said. "Do I have your word that no one gets hurt? Not only us, but any of the student body, faculty, or staff anywhere on the campus?"

"As long as nobody tries to leave the dorms or administrative offices, they ought to be fine," Kallen assured them.

"I want...I wanna know what you did to me!" Shirley demanded.

"Huh?" Kallen asked, blinking in confusion.

"I was so terrified, you have no idea," Shirley rambled. "Both of you did something to me. Tell me the truth. Didn't you?!"

Kallen's confused expression only deepened as Shirley continued. Zero, however, turned his attention to Harley.

"Harley Brevard, would you kindly come with me?" he asked. "I'd like to have a word with you."

"Hang on," Milly interjected. "You just promised that nobody was going to get hurt!"

"I can assure you that I have no intention of harming her," Zero insisted. "I just want to talk to her. However, I'm not going to force her to come with me." He turned back toward Harley, extending his hand to her. "The choice is yours, my dear Countess."

Harley nodded without any hesitation. "I'll go with you."

"Wait a second, Harley. Are you sure about this?" Rivalz asked.

"It's alright, Rivalz," Harley replied. "I know what I'm doing." ' _No, I don't. I'm totally winging this._ '

* * *

Lelouch couldn't have been more elated as he led Harley into one of the unoccupied rooms in the clubhouse. While his primary intention had been to secure the school in order to keep Nunnally, Harley, and the rest of his friends safe, he couldn't deny that he was eager to have another chance to interact with Harley as Zero. He'd been waiting for an opportunity to arise ever since he'd first learned of her crush on the masked terrorist and, judging by reaction upon seeing him again, the wait was going to be worth it.

"So what are you planning to do with me?" Harley asked. "Are you planning to use me as a political hostage like the group at the hotel?"

"Nothing of the sort," Lelouch replied. "I don't plan on using you as a hostage at all."

"Then why did you bring me in here?" Harley pressed.

"I wanted a little time alone with you," Lelouch answered honestly. "I missed you, Harley." He smirked as a bright red blush washed over Harley's face.

"You missed me? Really?" Harley asked, bringing her hands to her cheeks.

Lelouch nodded. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since I met you. You're a very rare woman, Harley." ' _I'm not even lying to her._ '

"It's a relief to hear you say that," Harley replied before rushing toward Lelouch and wrapping her arms around him. "Because I haven't been able to get you out of my head either, Zero. I've been following all the media coverage of you and the Black Knights, hoping to find a way to see you again."

"That's rather bold of you," Lelouch commented, his arms winding around Harley's waist and pulling her against his chest. "I can't imagine there are very many nobles that would publicly support me."

"I wouldn't exactly say 'publicly'," Harley corrected, nuzzling against Lelouch's chest. "While I don't think my dad cares one way or the other, I don't want my support for you and the Black Knights to cause him problems. I've only told one person about how I feel about you."

"Is that right?" Lelouch asked. "You must trust that person a great deal, then."

Harley chuckled. "Funny you should say that because, just a little bit ago, his sister commented that he and I seem to be growing more fond of each other."

"I see," Lelouch replied. "Do you think what she said is true?"

Harley shrugged. "I suppose so. He's a good friend of mine and he's helped me out quite a bit lately. I don't know what his thoughts concerning you are, but he's never judged me for feeling the way I do and he kept his promise to keep quiet about what I've told him."

"It sounds like he cares for you quite a bit," Lelouch commented, tightening his grip on Harley. "It's good that you have someone like that in your life. Make sure you stay close to that friend of yours; he can probably bring you more happiness than anyone else can." He paused for a moment before continuing. "I have to ask, though: why were you so dead-set on finding me again?"

Harley smiled up at him. "I wanted to thank you for saving me at the hotel."

Lelouch quirked an eyebrow behind his mask. "But you thanked me that day, didn't you?"

"I didn't thank you properly," Harley replied. "Granted, it's going to be a little difficult with your mask on, but I know you have to keep your identity secret."

Lelouch was about to ask Harley to elaborate, but the girl gently pressed her lips against his mask before he could get a word out. His eyes widened before he slid them closed and he leaned into Harley when he felt her arms wrap as far around his midsection as they could. He was more than a little disappointed when he felt Harley pull back.

' _I'm not giving up a chance at those lips while I've got her ready and willing right in front of me,_ ' he thought, wracking his brain for a solution before an idea popped into his head. "Harley, do you trust me?"

Harley sent him a confused expression, but nodded just the same.

"Good," Lelouch said, loosening the cravat around his neck. "If a kiss is what you want, a kiss is what you'll get. As you said, I'm unable to reveal my face to you, but it might be possible for me to remove my mask without showing myself."

"I'm not sure I'm following you, but if I get a kiss out of this, then I'm down," Harley agreed. "Just do what you gotta do."

"Very well," Lelouch replied, swiftly removing his cravat and tying it around Harley's eyes before removing his mask and setting it down nearby. He took a moment to appreciate that the object of his desire was standing before him blindfolded and eagerly awaiting his affection before stepping closer to her.

"You know, I never really pegged you as a guy who'd be into this sort of th-," Harley began, only to be cut off by a pair of lips pressing roughly against hers. She froze for a split second before she began moving her lips against his, bringing her hands up to gently cup the sides of his face. Her lack of experience made her feel slightly awkward, but any worries she had melted away when she felt him running his gloved fingers through her hair. ' _So happy I decided to forego the ponytail today._ '

' _Finally! These sweet, beautiful lips are finally mine! Oh, she tastes even better than I dreamed she would!_ ' Lelouch thought happily as his lips moved in time with Harley's. His heart swelled even further when he felt Harley tilt her head and part her lips. Her invitation was clear and he was more than happy to oblige her. His tongue pushed past Harley's lips and began an intimate, almost hypnotic, dance with hers. He let himself fall deeper and deeper into the kiss, only to jump when he felt Harley's hands drop from his face to his backside.

"Wh-What are you-?!" Lelouch asked, startled, as he pulled back from the kiss.

Harley laughed. "Oh come on. You're wearing ridiculously tight pants, Zero. What did you expect me to do?" She giggled and smiled before groping at him again. "You've got a remarkably firm tush, by the way."

Lelouch couldn't help but chuckle in return. "You never cease to surprise me, my sweet little lamb. However, I must insist that I return the favor." He lowered his hands from Harley's hair and brought them down to gently stroke at her backside. His smile only widened when Harley let out an excited squeal and pressed herself closer to him. He was about to lean in to kiss her again when a shrill ringing sound cut through the room. Lelouch sighed and reluctantly pulled away from Harley to answer the phone. "Yes?"

Ohgi's voice sounded from the other end. "Bad news, Zero. We've got a visual on the Lancelot. It's heading this way!"

"I figured he'd come," Lelouch replied. "I'll be there in a moment. Make sure the Gawain is ready." He hung up the phone before turning back to Harley, picking up his mask as he did so. "As much as it pains me to say it, I believe we're going to have to part ways for now, sweet lamb." He dropped another quick kiss onto her lips before resetting the mask.

"I figured as much," Harley replied. "Don't get killed, okay. I need you to come back to me so we can finish what we started here."

Lelouch chuckled again. "Remarkably straightforward of you, but I'd be lying if I said that I didn't echo the sentiment."

"Are you remasked?" Harley asked.

"I am," Lelouch confirmed.

"Am I correct in assuming that you want this back?" Harley asked as she untied and removed the cravat from her eyes, holding the cloth out to him.

"You hold onto it for now," Lelouch replied. "That cravat will seal my promise to you; I'll get it the next time we meet." He lifted his mask just enough to reveal his mouth and placed a gentle kiss to the back of Harley's hand, just as he had at the hotel. "Until next time, my lamb."

Harley nodded and tucked the cravat into her jacket, a red blush dusting her cheeks once again, as she followed Lelouch outside the room only to be met by two masked Black Knight soldiers.

"You two!" Lelouch ordered. "I want you to escort this girl back to her friends on the other side of the building. She knows where they are. Make sure that absolutely no harm comes to her; I will not be pleased if I find out anything to the contrary."

"Yes, sir!" the soldiers saluted before gesturing for Harley to follow them.

' _Come back to me, Zero,_ ' Harley thought, turning back to take one last glance at the masked man. ' _I'll be waiting for you._ '

' _Stay safe, Harley,_ ' Lelouch thought as he made his way outside. ' _I'll get back to you and Nunnally as fast as I can. And when I do, I promise I'll tell you everything._ '

* * *

 **Ending Notes: I'm going to be completely honest with you guys: I had Rihanna's 'Te Amo' set on repeat while I was writing this chapter and I was sorely tempted to just have Harley and Lelouch have sex. However, if I did, it would have ruined my plan to cockblock Lelouch as often as I can. Having Harley hang onto Zero's cravat is going become an amusing point after Lelouch has his memories rewritten as well; since he has no memory of being Zero, he's going to spend the next handful of chapters (until he gets his memory restored) jealous of himself.**

 **I didn't really see much of a point in writing what happened after Harley went back to the Student Council room since it would have played out just like the episodes.**

 **The chapters are going to get much fluffier from here and I'm really excited about that since fluff is my forte. I hope you guys are looking forward to it too!**

 **As always, feedback and constructive criticism are more than welcome! Thank you all so much for reading! Geekinthepink, out!**


	10. Rewrite

**Author's Notes: I know I said that the chapters were going to get fluffier but I got the sudden urge to write this one out first. Figured I might as well traumatize Harley for a few seconds before sending her to fluffville and keeping her blissfully unaware for a while.**

 **If you haven't seen the Akito the Exiled OVA, some of the references in this chapter aren't going to make much sense. Just a warning.**

* * *

"I still don't understand why you felt the need to drag me with you tonight," Harley complained as she and her father walked into the banquet hall at Pendragon, the Brittanian Imperial Capital.

"Oh, don't be such a downer," Tony replied. "We just have to make a quick appearance and then we'll be out of here. Besides, I thought you enjoyed a chance to dress up every now and then."

"Yeah, when it's for something fun," Harley retorted, smoothing out the skirt of her dress. "Not when I'm being forced into a room full of stuffy bluebloods and pervy old men looking to score a trophy wife. Parties like this aren't my scene, Daddy. You know that."

"And I've already told that a trophy wife is not going to be your fate," Tony assured her. "I brought you with me for two reasons. One, I need someone to use as an excuse to get out of here once we both get bored and your uncle's still in Area 11. And two, someone actually requested that you come with me tonight. I think you'll be happy when you see who it was."

Harley sighed. After the events of the Black Rebellion, her parents and uncle had insisted that she return to the Homeland for a time until Japan had time to stabilize. She had enjoyed getting to spend some extra time with her parents, but she missed her friends at Ashford. She hadn't had a chance to say goodbye to Nunnally or Lelouch before departing to the Homeland and she was worried about how they were doing.

"Harley!" a familiar voice called, startling the girl out of her thoughts. She turned her head toward the sound, catching sight of wavy brown hair and dark green eyes.

"Suzaku!" Harley called back, rushing over to the boy and pulling him into a hug. "I haven't seen you since you left for St. Petersburg, Mr. Knight of Seven. How have you been? How was Russia?"

"I'm fine," Suzaku laughed, returning the hug. "And Russia was...interesting. I'm glad to see you're still as lively as ever; it's nice to know the Black Rebellion didn't shake you too badly."

"Eh, it wouldn't be the first hostage situation I was involved in," Harley replied. ' _It was definitely the one I enjoyed the most, though._ '

"Well, I guess I'll just leave you two to catch up, then," Tony cut in before scampering off to get drunk and annoy some nobles. "Congratulations on your appointment to Knight of Seven, Suzaku. And thank you in advance for keeping my child entertained; she's been whining about coming here all evening."

"Thank you, sir!" Suzaku called at Tony's retreating form before turning back to Harley.

"So you were the one that asked Dad to bring me here?" Harley asked.

"Yes and no," Suzaku replied. "I was the one that called him and I did want to see you. I didn't tell your father this, but there's another person that wished to meet with you as well. I'd like to take you to them now, if you don't mind."

"Fine with me," Harley agreed as she began following Suzaku out of the banquet hall. "May I ask who this mystery person is, though?"

"The Emperor," Suzaku replied simply, leading Harley toward what she assumed was the doorway to the throne room.

"What?! Th-The Emperor?!" Harley sputtered incredulously. "Surely he has better things to do than-" She stopped in her tracks. "Hang on a sec, Suzaku. Am I in some kind of trouble?"

Suzaku stopped as well, turning back to face Harley. "No, you're not in trouble. I'm sorry, Harley, but I can't tell you anything more than that. I need you to trust me."

Harley studied Suzaku for a long moment before nodding. "Okay. I'll trust you."

Suzaku sent a small smile her way before turning back around and pushing open the doors to the throne room. A large, intimidating man with curly white hair stood before the pair as they stepped inside the dimly-lit room.

"Your Majesty, I've brought you the girl you requested to see," Suzaku announced, kneeling before the Emperor.

"Harley Brevard," the Emperor called. "I have a few questions I'd like to ask you."

"O-Of course, Your Majesty," Harley stammered as she bowed.

"Raise your head, child," the Emperor commanded. "You have nothing to fear so long as you answer me honestly."

"A-Alright," Harley replied hesitantly, lifting her head as she spoke.

"Now then, you feel love for Zero, do you not?" the Emperor asked.

Harley's eyes widened, her heartbeat accelerating as she panicked internally. ' _What the shit?! Where the hell did he get that kind of information?! The only person I told was Lelouch and- Wait, could Lelouch have sold me out somehow? No, there's no way. When would he have been able to talk to the Emperor?_ ' She sighed. ' _I guess it doesn't really matter how he found out. There's no point in lying to him, either._ ' Harley turned to look the Emperor directly in the eye. "Having never been in love before, Your Majesty, I can't say for certain that what I feel for Zero is love. However, I do have a strong admiration and fondness for the man since he did save my life. I'm not going to pretend that the fact that he's been executed doesn't make my heart ache."

"I see," the Emperor replied. "I can appreciate your honesty, treasonous though it may be. And now I'll ask you: How would you feel if I told you that Zero was still alive?"

Harley could only give him a dumbfounded stare.

"Since you were honest with me, I'm going to be honest with you," the Emperor elaborated. "Zero was not actually executed. I kept him alive and rewrote his memory. I had hoped to be able to make use of him but it appears that the alterations I gave his memory are coming undone."

"And may I ask where Zero is now?" Harley questioned.

"He's been with us this entire time," the Emperor answered, gesturing to a figure dressed in black standing off to the side, its head bowed just slightly. "You may go to him if you wish but I can't promise you that he'll recognize you."

Harley wasted no time in making her way to the figure, gently cupping his face the same way she had during the Black Rebellion and tilting his head toward her. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of familiar violet orbs staring blankly back at her.

"L-Lelouch?!" Harley asked in disbelief, turning to look back at the Emperor and Suzaku. "What is this? What's wrong with him? And are you telling me he was Zero?"

"It's true," the Emperor confirmed. "My own son, Lelouch vi Brittania, and Zero were one and the same."

"Your son?" Harley asked. "No, there's no way. That would make him a-"

"A prince," Suzaku cut in. "He's been lying to you this whole time, Harley. He's lied to everyone about who he really is and he manipulated Princess Euphemia into killing all those people just so he'd have an excuse to start the Black Rebellion. He probably also manipulated your feelings for Zero."

"How did you know about-" Harley began.

"Give me some credit," Suzaku cut in again. "I saw the way you would blush and look away whenever someone would mention him. The amount of attention you paid to any media coverage concerning him gave you away, too." He glared in Lelouch's direction. "I've known Lelouch for a long time and I'm able to read him better than most. I was able to pick up on his attraction toward you reasonably quickly as well. You have to face it, Harley. He played with your feelings."

"Oh, who gives a hissy fit about that right now?!" Harley yelled. "I'll sort that out once Lelouch has his head on straight again."

"You're honestly prioritizing-" Suzaku began.

"Of course I am!" Harley replied. "Don't forget; I've hidden who I really was, too." She sighed. "Lelouch is my friend, Suzaku. I think I owe him the courtesy of hearing him out, at least." She turned back to Lelouch, cupping the sides of his face again. "Hey, can you hear me, Lelouch? It's me. It's Harley. I need you to snap of it, okay?"

Lelouch slowly raised his head to look Harley in the eye. "Har...ley..." He studied her silently for a moment, the same blank stare on his face, before his eyes widened and he clutched at his head.

Harley was only able to watch helplessly as a red tint flashed through Lelouch's eyes. "What's happening to him?" she asked, never taking her eyes off of him.

"He's overcoming the Geass I placed on him to alter his memories," the Emperor replied. "That was part of the reason I ordered Sir Kururugi to bring you to me. I cannot recast my Geass on him until the previous one is broken. Given what I heard regarding Lelouch's feelings for you, I assumed seeing you would be the final push that he needed."

Harley opened her mouth to reply but was cut off when Lelouch grabbed onto her shoulder.

"Harley, you need to get out of here! It's not safe for you here!" he exclaimed before glaring at his father and Suzaku. "Why would you bring her here?! She had nothing to do with any of this!"

"Consider this a part of your punishment, my errant son," the Emperor replied as he walked over to them. "The fact that you two are so close leads me to believe that I can make use of her. I plan to rewrite your memories again; you'll remember nothing of Nunnally, your mother, or the fact that you were Zero. But before I do, I'm going to alter Harley's memories as well. Her feelings for Zero will not change nor will her friendship with you, but she will have no recollection of Nunnally or of this conversation. And I'm going to make you watch every moment of it."

"If you really think I'll just let you-" Lelouch was cut off when the Emperor pulled Harley against him, took out a pistol, and held it against Harley's head.

"But you don't have a choice," the Emperor retorted. "If you attempt to interfere, I'll kill her right here. I will also shoot her if you attempt to flee before I can rewrite your memories. The sooner you stop resisting, the sooner all of this will be over."

Lelouch growled, but stayed where he was. Harley stayed rooted to her spot as well, too confused and scared to move away.

"Very good," the Emperor taunted as he forced Harley's head up so that she was looking him in the eye. "Now then, Harley." His eyes began to glow. "I, Charles zi Brittania engrave into you false memories of a false friend."

Harley was only able to stand there, her body trembling and her mouth open in a silent scream. She felt as though someone was tugging at her mind, pulling out all of her memories of Nunnally and stuffing false ones of a strange boy in place of them. The strain grew more unbearable with each passing second and Harley felt herself wearing out faster and faster before, finally, her vision grew dark.

* * *

"Is she going to be okay?" Suzaku asked the Emperor, his arm fastened around Harley's waist to keep her from falling and a look of concern on his face.

"What she just experienced was likely more than a little jarring, but she'll be fine," the Emperor replied. "She should only remain unconscious for a few moments, so I'd recommend taking her out of here now. If she wakes up, I won't be able to recast my Geass on her."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Suzaku replied, bowing before scooping Harley into his arms and making for the doorway. He turned back when he felt Lelouch's glare on his back. "Don't look at me like that, Lelouch. This wouldn't have been necessary if you hadn't decided to play terrorist. Excuse me."

And with that, Suzaku was gone, leaving Lelouch to have his memories rewritten for the second time.

* * *

 **Ending Notes: I honestly didn't have any intention of writing this at first, but something just hit me out of the blue and I couldn't stop myself. I hope it's at least somewhat decent.**

 **I'm planning on doing one more interlude chapter before getting to the fluff. The next chapter is going to focus on Walter and Graham and give a little more insight into their characters and why they've remained as loyal to their charges as they are. I also managed to work up two more fluffy chapter ideas, so something tells me that this fic is going to keep going strong for a while.**

 **As always, feedback and constructive criticism are always welcome. Thank you all so much for reading and supporting this story! Geekinthepink, out!**


	11. Interlude: Butlers

**Author's Notes: I know this chapter's a little shorter than the ones I usually write but I wanted to do something quick to give Graham and Walter a little more depth. The fluff will officially be starting in the next chapter, I promise.**

* * *

"Say, Wally," Graham began as he sat down. "How did you end up working for Count Brevard? You already know the family history between the Asplunds and the Carters, but when I asked Harley how you came to be here, she only told me that it was 'complicated'."

"'Complicated'?" Walter asked, an amused smile on his face as he sat down as well. "What a delightfully simple way to put it."

"Oh, so this story's going to be a juicy one, then," Graham commented, leaning forward and resting his chin in his hands.

"I suppose so," Walter agreed. "I'll cut straight to the bone, then. I was originally sent by a handful of Count Brevard's former business associates to dispose of him and Harley."

Graham blinked. "Well. I can't say I was expecting that. Now that I think of it, though, you do have that sort of 'contract killer' air about you. But why only Harley and Count Brevard? Why not Lady Asplund as well?"

"Those men wanted to run Brevard Corps. and company bylaws clearly state that the first-born child of the current CEO is the rightful heir to the company," Walter explained. "If something happens to both the CEO and any heirs that he or she has, the company's Vice President is the one that takes over. Taking out Lady Asplund wouldn't have done them any good."

"Not that they could have," Graham added. "Not with Sebastian around. What caused you to go against your orders, though? The Brevard family has no shortage of rivals; I'd imagine that any number of them would have wanted the Count and Harley dead. You probably lost out on enough money to set you up for life."

Walter nodded. "That's true; the men that hired me had offered me a ridiculous amount of money to be rid of the two of them, but when push came to shove I simply couldn't do it." He sighed. "I was supposed to work for the Brevard family for a few months to earn their trust and lower their guard. When Count Brevard agreed to hire me, all he knew was that I was a man with a checkered past. You'd think that would have been enough for the man to distrust me on the spot, but that wasn't what happened."

"I don't think that's the way this family operates," Graham observed. "They seem to make it a point of hiring people of...questionable morals. It's baffling, honestly."

"I agree that it's an unusual system, but I'd also like to point out to you that all of the people employed by the Brevard family are unwaveringly loyal to them," Walter argued. "Most of these people are former criminals, so they're being offered a chance to make an honest living and turn their lives around. I doubt that they would have such an opportunity anywhere else in Brittania. That oddly merciful system was what earned Count Brevard my loyalty, after all."

Graham shrugged. "It still seems unnecessarily risky to me. What happens if one of them goes rogue?"

"That's precisely why they've hired us," Walter replied. "Even so, their method is a rather effective one. Despite having every reason to distrust me, none of them showed even the slightest bit of unease around me. I thought they were just a bunch of fools at first but eventually I found myself growing fond of them. I've worked with and killed plenty of nobles before; every single one of them was a vile, self-centered piece of work. But this family was so genuinely welcoming and kind that it threw me for a loop. It took some time to get used to their eccentricities, the Count's especially, but I came to truly enjoy working for them."

"So you gave up your mission just like that?" Graham asked.

"Not at all," Walter replied. "I simply resolved to kill them sooner than planned. I was fortunate that an opportunity presented itself not long after. I had infiltrated the Brevard estate around the time that the Count's marriage was falling apart. It seemed as if every day there was another argument over nothing and the two would get so wrapped up it that they would neglect their daughter. One day, the fighting had escalated to such a degree that Harley fled the estate." He paused for a moment. "I'm assuming you've been to the Count's estate back in the Homeland."

Graham rolled his eyes playfully. "Naturally, Wally."

"Then you're aware of the deep forest out back," Walter continued. "I'd learned that there was a fairly steep rock outcropping overlooking a pond in that forest. I'd also learned that Harley tended to seek refuge there when she was upset, so I knew exactly where to find her once she ran off. I'd planned to kill her while she was out there; her parents were too absorbed in their fight to notice that she had even gone missing and making her death look like an accident would have been easy. But after I'd caught up to her and had made my way behind her, I just froze. All the kindness that family had shown me, kindness that I didn't deserve, came rushing back to me and I just couldn't do it."

"So what did you end up doing instead?" Graham asked.

"I gathered Harley up and led her back to the manor," Walter replied. "As we stepping off of the outcropping, though, I discovered that Sebastian had been standing a short distance away the entire time; turned out he'd suspected something from the start. I was so wrapped up in trying to off Harley that I didn't notice him and, had I made a move, he would have killed me as well."

Graham nodded. "That's our Bassy! And did Count Brevard ever find out about what you were sent to do?"

"He did," Walter confirmed. "That night, after Sebastian ripped both him and Lady Asplund a new one for neglecting their child, I told him everything."

"And he forgave you, just like that?" Graham asked.

"Well, I was on a probationary period for a while but I was able to prove my loyalty to him," Walter explained. "I also informed him of who it was that hired me in the first place as well as providing the evidence needed for an arrest. The man is merciful to a fault; he was content to simply have those pigs arrested, so I took matters into my own hands."

"Meaning?" Graham probed.

"Meaning that I did exactly as the butler does...and tidied up," Walter elaborated, a smirk gracing his features.

"Ah, say no more," Graham chirped, eyes alight with amusement.

"Now I get to ask a question," Walter said. "What makes you and Sebastian so loyal? I understand the history between the families, but the devotion the two of you show hints that there's more to it than simple obligation. It's almost as if you view your charges as friends."

Graham was silent for a moment as he thought of an explanation. "As sharp as ever, my dear Wally. It's true; our care for the two of them does extend past the family tradition. I suppose the simplest way to put it is to say that we remain devoted out of love for the women we serve."

"Love?" Walter asked. "Do you mean romantic love?"

"In Sebastian's case, yes," Graham replied. "He's loved Lady Asplund since before he entered her service. Much like Harley and myself, they knew each other for a long while before he was assigned to her."

"Is that right?" Walter mused. "He's never given any indication of it. Not that I've seen, at any rate. I can't imagine he was too happy when she married Count Brevard."

"Sebastian is a professional through and through," Graham explained. "If you watch him closely, though, you'll see the fond glances he sends toward Lady Asplund. And then there's the fact that he treats Harley like his own child. To tell you the truth, I don't really understand the situation all that well. I figured it wasn't any of my business, so I never bothered asking him about it."

"And what's your story, then?" Walter asked. "What makes you so eager to serve Harley?"

"It's not nearly as complex or romantic as your or Sebastian's reasons, but I do care deeply for Harley," Graham replied with a smile. "She's probably the only person I've ever truly considered a friend. Not many people are keen to stay around me once they find out how insatiable my bloodlust actually is, but Harley seems fascinated by it. In fact, she enables it." His smile grew more psychotic at Walter's confused expression. "She doesn't look it, but Harley is very much the type of person that would hand me a rusty carving knife, point out some sap that blinked at her wrong, and tell me to go to town. I don't think I need much more of a reason to be devoted."

"And that devotion is something that's only extended toward her," Walter concluded. "I have a sneaking suspicion that you'd kill everyone in the Tokyo Settlement if you thought it would keep her safe, up to and including her own parents."

Graham nodded. "That I would, and not just because I enjoy the sound of breaking bones; the thought of something bad happening to her truly devastates me." He sighed. "I have to admit that she's had me far too well-behaved lately. I'm starting to get out of shape. I'm simply itching for a chance to run my chainsaw through somebody. And I sincerely hope that somebody is that purple-eyed boy from the school festival."

"Now I understand why Count Brevard only agreed to let Harley return to Area 11 if you came along with her," Walter observed. "Granted, you'll be staying here at the Asplund estate and she'll be living on campus, but you seem to have a sixth sense that tells you when she's in some sort of trouble."

"It certainly does come in handy," Graham agreed before suddenly growing quiet and jerking his head toward the window, facing the small garage at the back of the estate. "Speaking of which..."

As if on cue, a loud crash sounded from the small building and a clearly irate Tony could be heard yelling, "Ow! Harley, what the shit?!"

"I regret nothing!" Harley called back as she dashed out of the garage, cackling maniacally.

Walter sighed as he stood up. "I suppose we're needed. A butler's work is never done, it seems."

"Not with this family, it's not," Graham agreed, standing as well. "I wouldn't have it any other way, though. If they were like most nobles, I'd probably have tried to kill them a long time ago." He smiled before looking over at Walter. "The usual plan? You check on the Count and I intercept Harley?"

"Sounds good to me," Walter consented. "You're a better Harley tracker than I could ever hope to be."

"Off I go, then," Graham said, taking off in the direction Harley had run off in.

* * *

 **Ending Notes: Hope you guys enjoyed this little interlude! After the events of the last chapter, I really wanted to write something a little more lighthearted. I hope this also gave you a little more insight into Graham and Walter as characters.**

 **I also think it's worth mentioning now that Graham's dislike of Lelouch is going to come back to play later on, especially if you choose the 'bad' ending to the story.**

 **As always, feedback and constructive criticism are more than welcome! Thank you all so much for reading! Geekinthepink, out!**


	12. A Father's Blessing

**Author's Note: The fluuuuuuuuf has ariiiiiiiiiived!**

* * *

"Is everything okay, Lulu?" Shirley asked, startling Lelouch out of his thoughts. "You seem a little down."

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine. Just thinking, that's all," Lelouch replied.

"Aww, you're lonely because Harley's not here, aren't you?" Milly teased. "That's adorable!"

"N-No, it's not like that," Lelouch stammered, turning his head away so nobody could see his cheeks darkening. "I'm just concerned that she's not going to be coming back to Ashford. Her father seemed pretty dead set on keeping her in the Homeland."

"Maybe it's for the best," Shirley offered. "I mean, I'm sure both of her parents were worried about her during the Black Rebellion. And Zero did pull her away for quite a while, too. Granted, she was fine when she came back but it was probably pretty nerve-wracking for her parents."

Lelouch barely suppressed a growl at the mention of Zero. He and his brother, Rolo, had been away from the campus during the Black Rebellion, but he was well aware that Zero had pulled Harley away. Harley hadn't told anyone exactly what had happened but, when pressed, she had told Lelouch that it was 'extremely enjoyable'. Since she'd failed to elaborate any further, he'd let his imagination run wild. His only comfort was that the bastard had been caught and executed.

"Even so, we never got a definitive answer," Milly said, picking up her cell phone. "Why don't we just call her? There's no harm in asking, is there? I mean, we all miss her."

The rest of the council watched as Milly picked up the phone and dialed Harley's cell number before placing the receiver to her ear, perking up when a voice sounded from the other end. "Hey, Harley, it's me." A pause. "Oh, you know. Just getting a few things taken care of before the new term starts." Another pause. "Mmhmm. Shirley and Rivalz moved back into their dorms early too, and Lelouch and Rolo live in the clubhouse anyway so... Anyway, we were wondering if you were going to be coming back this term too." The smile suddenly dropped off her face. "What do you mean you've been back in Area 11 for a week?!"

"She's been back for that long and didn't tell us?!" Shirley exclaimed.

"Are you serious?!" Rivalz added. "Was she even gonna say anything?!"

Milly sighed before pressing a button on the phone. "I'm going to put you on speaker, Harley. Sounds like you've got some explaining to do."

Harley's voice flooded through the room a second later and, despite how irked he was that she hadn't said anything about coming back, Lelouch felt his heartbeat speed up at the sound.

"Okay, just give me a second before you guys get mad at me," Harley began. "Yes, I am coming back to Ashford. I didn't say anything because I was planning on surprising you guys the day before classes started back. My dad had to make a trip over to his factory in the Tokyo Settlement last week, so I just flew out with him. I wanted to hang out with him for a little longer before he had to go back home."

"He agreed to let you stay, then?" Shirley asked. "That's awesome, Harley! I'm so glad you're coming back!"

"Well, there is one condition," Harley explained. "Dad only agreed to let me stay in Area 11 if Graham was nearby. Obviously, he can't stay on campus with me so he's going to be staying at the Asplund estate. Regardless, he'll still be close enough should something happen."

Lelouch groaned inwardly. The red-haired man had made no secret of the fact that Lelouch wasn't up there on his list of favorite people; what he'd done to evoke the butler's ire was beyond him. However, dealing with him would be a small price to pay if it meant he could see Harley again. The fact that he wouldn't be staying on campus was something to be happy about as well.

"Well, I guess it's safe to say that you've made everyone here very happy," Milly said. "We've all really missed you. Though I think one of us has been taking your absence harder than the rest."

Harley laughed. "Well, tell Lelouch I've missed him too."

"Hang on," Lelouch interjected, feeling his cheeks heat up. "What makes you so sure Milly's talking about me?"

"Well, you _are_ my best friend, aren't you?" Harley pointed out. "I thought it was obvious." Her tone suddenly turned sad. "But maybe I was wrong; maybe you didn't miss me after all."

"N-No! That's not it at all!" Lelouch protested. "Of course I missed you! I just meant-"

The sound of Harley giggling cut him off. "I'm just teasing you, Lelouch. I've missed being able to get those kinds of reactions out of you." A pause. "I've missed your hugs, too. You always did give the best ones and I've been without one for way too long."

Lelouch couldn't stop the small smile that spread over his face. "How about I rectify that for you, then? What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Hanging out with my dad at the factory again," Harley replied. "He has an underground secret workshop and he said he had a surprise for me."

"Would you be okay with me coming by tomorrow?" Lelouch asked. "I don't want to cut into your family time, but I'd really like to see you."

"Hmm. Surprisingly sentimental of you, Lelouch," Harley replied, the smile in her voice as plain as day. "All the same, I'd really like to see you too."

"How about we all come by tomorrow?" Shirley suggested quickly, causing Lelouch's eyebrow to twitch in irritation. "Like the Prez said, we've all missed Harley."

"I think getting to see Count Brevard in person would be pretty cool, too," Rivalz chimed in.

"What do you say, Harley?" Milly asked. "It's your call."

"It's alright with me," Harley agreed. "Dad and I will be at the factory all day so you guys can come by whenever you'd like. I'll let Walter and our security detail know you're coming so they don't give you any trouble getting in."

"It's settled, then!" Milly cheered. "We'll see you tomorrow, Harley!"

' _Damn it, I was hoping to have Harley to myself tomorrow,_ ' Lelouch thought. ' _Well, I guess it can't be helped. Besides, it's not like I'd have been able to do much with her father there, anyway. Just getting to see her again is enough for now._ '

* * *

"Walter!" Milly called the next afternoon, rushing toward the butler in question when he stepped outside to greet them. "How have you guys been? It's been too long since we've seen you!"

"It's nice to see you too, Miss Ashford," Walter replied, a small smile gracing his features. "Everyone's been doing well, but I know Harley's happy to be back in Area 11. I'm glad you all were able to come see her today as well; she's missed all of you terribly." He turned, gesturing for them to follow him. "Come with me and I'll take you to her."

Walter led them all through the factory before entering Tony's office and placing his thumb onto a scanner built into the wall. The scanner glowed green and beeped, causing the wall to open up to reveal a hidden staircase.

"So, I'm guessing wherever this stairway leads to is where the magic happens?" Rivalz asked.

Walter chuckled as the group started down the stairs. "You could say that. I suppose it's more accurate to say that this is where Count Brevard creates the toys that the R&D department doesn't know about. Only Count Brevard, Harley, and myself have access to this basement workshop; I don't even think Lady Asplund knows about it."

"Harley did say that he was working on a surprise for her," Rolo commented.

"Yes," Walter confirmed. "He's taken the same float system he designed to have installed in the latest Knightmares and somehow managed to convert it into a pair of hoverboots for her. She's absolutely thrilled."

"What?!" Shirley exclaimed as they reached the bottom of the stairs. "How is something like that even possible?!"

"See for yourself," Walter replied, gesturing to the side and into the workshop where Harley could be seen levitating just slightly, a pair of metallic silver boots on her feet. Tony was sitting at a desk near the back of the room, watching his daughter carefully and making notes.

"Should he really be using the same technology the Knightmares use for something like that?" Rolo asked.

Walter shrugged. "Probably not. But when I asked him about it, the Count just said that it was his flight system so he could decide how he wanted to use it. He also told me that the Brevards have more to offer the world than just making things that blow up."

"Well, I think it's sweet that he did something nice for Harley," Shirley said, throwing her hand up and waving. "Harley, we're here!"

Harley's head shot up and quickly turned toward the staircase, a bright smile taking over her face. "Hey guys! Just hang there for a sec and I'll be right over." Harley proceeded to lean forward just slightly and began moving her legs in a movement that mirrored rollerblading to push herself toward her friends. Upon reaching them, she abruptly cut the power to the boots and landed with a heavy, metallic 'thud' in front of them.

"Oh, Harley, we missed you!" Milly exclaimed, pulling the girl into a hug.

"Okay, those are just about the coolest things I've ever seen!" Rivalz commented, gesturing to Harley's boots.

"Are they hard to use?" Shirley asked.

"Ehh, not really," Harley replied, wiggling out of Milly's hug and moving to stand next to Lelouch. "The hardest part for me was figuring out how to stay balanced."

"You've made a significant amount of progress using the boots since you started this morning," Walter pointed out.

"Of course she has," Tony interjected as he made his way over. "She's my daughter, isn't she? Mechanical aptitude is in her blood." He smiled. "I hope you'll forgive us for not telling you that Harley had been in Area 11 for so long; I wasn't entirely ready to let go of her just yet."

"Oh, don't worry about that, Count Brevard," Milly replied. "We're just happy she's coming back." She cast a teasing glance toward Lelouch. "Although I think one of us was a little more excited than the others."

Lelouch shot a quick glare at Milly before clearing his throat and glancing in the opposite direction, only for his cheeks to heat up when he felt Harley lean against him.

"Aww, were you lonely without me?" Harley cooed as she nuzzled Lelouch's shoulder, smiling when she caught a brief glance of his red cheeks.

"Sooo, Harley...," Rivalz said, sidling toward her and sending some very obvious glances toward her boots.

Harley sighed. "Do you wanna try them out?"

"So much!" he exclaimed.

Harley laughed. "Alright, just give me a sec to take them off."

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to try on the boots, Lelouch?" Harley asked as the two of them stood back, leaning against Tony's desk, and watched him explain to the others how the shoes operated.

"Maybe later," he replied noncommittally before moving closer so that he was pressed against her side. "Right now, I just want to be where you are."

"Geez, Lelouch," Harley said, leaning against him again. "You're being unusually sweet."

"Can you blame me?" Lelouch asked. "I was afraid you weren't coming back. I haven't felt this relieved in a long time."

"It wasn't easy to convince my dad, but I couldn't leave you all," Harley replied. "I wasn't gonna leave my best friend, either; I don't think I could live in a world where I couldn't get hugs from you."

"Speaking of which," Lelouch began. "I believe I promised you a hug yesterday."

Harley let out a surprised squeak as Lelouch wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against his chest. After getting over the initial shock, she wasted no time in winding her arms around his midsection as well and a small smile spread over her face when she felt him rest his head on top of hers. "You always give the best hugs, Lelouch. I mean, I'm sure you hear that all the time but-"

"What are you talking about?" Lelouch asked. "You know you're the only one I hug like this." He chuckled when Harley quirked an eyebrow, squeezing her just a bit. "I can't help it; you're so soft."

"Umm...thanks?" Harley replied. "I don't know if 'soft' is a word I ever thought I'd hear used to describe me, but-"

"Harley!" Shirley called, startling the pair into breaking apart. "Can you come here for a sec? I need you to show me how you did that rollerblade thing to move yourself in these boots."

* * *

"So you're Lelouch Lamperouge?" Tony asked a few moments later. He'd made his way over to the boy while Harley was preoccupied with helping Shirley.

"I am, sir," Lelouch replied with a nod.

"Please, there's no need to be so formal; just call me 'Tony'," Tony said. "Anyway, it's a pleasure to finally meet you; Harley's told me a lot about you."

"She has?" Lelouch asked, feeling his cheeks heat up again.

Tony nodded. "She told me you took care of her when she passed out and came down with that fever a few months ago."

Lelouch nodded. He'd remembered the day well since that was when he and Harley began to get closer. They'd never figured out exactly what caused Harley's fever, so Lelouch had simply chalked it up to stress.

"With that in mind, I was wondering if I could ask you for a favor," Tony continued.

Lelouch nodded again. "Anything."

"Will you watch over her for me?" Tony asked. "Ever since the Black Rebellion, I've been terrified of letting her stay in the Tokyo Settlement again. I started having my reservations after the hotel jacking, but the Black Knights taking over the school really drove them home. I know Harley's capable of handling herself in those types of situations, but a father can't help but be worried."

"Why would you let her come back if you're so worried for her?" Lelouch asked. "Not that I'm unhappy about it."

"She loves Ashford and being able to be near you all," Tony replied. "As much as I want to keep her safe, I couldn't just take away something that made her so happy."

"But I thought Graham-" Lelouch began.

"Graham won't be staying on the campus," Tony explained. "The fact that he'll be close to Harley is comforting and I'm aware of that strange knack he has for knowing when she's in danger, but I'd rather have someone nearby that can keep her from getting into those situations in the first place. Since you live on the campus as well, I figured it would make the most sense for me to ask you." He gave Lelouch a knowing smile. "I saw the way you were holding her earlier. I'm going to assume you don't get that up close and personal with all your female friends."

"O-Of course not," Lelouch stammered. "Harley's just... She means a lot to me."

"That answer makes it a lot easier for me to ask you to do this," Tony replied, holding his hand out. "I hope you understand that this isn't something I'd ask of just anyone."

"And I'm flattered that you'd place this much faith in me," Lelouch said, taking Tony's extended hand and shaking it.

"Take care of her, son," Tony said, looking over at his daughter lovingly. "Harley is, and always will be, my greatest creation."

* * *

 **Ending Notes: Tony gives zero fucks about using his tech responsibly. That's what makes him best dad!**

 **I'm really excited for all the new dynamics that are going to be introduced. I think Harley and Shirley's is going to be really fun to write. I personally do not care for Shirley (and can easily launch into a long rant as to why), but I can't see her being an out-and-out bitch to Harley; the girl doesn't have a mean bone in her body. However, I think that what Mao said about her was spot-on; she's a girl that fishes for attention. With that said, I can see her reacting in one of two ways whenever Lelouch and Harley get too close for her taste: she'll try to pull one's attention off of the other or, if she thinks Harley and Lelouch are going to be doing something by themselves (they're best friends; it's going to happen), she'll try to force her way in. I'm hoping that these reactions are in line with her character and I'm really looking forward to writing them since Shirley's going to be the one that ends up cockblocking Lelouch the most. And I enjoy making that boy suffer.**

 **As always, feedback and constructive criticism are more than welcome! Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing! Geekinthepink, out!**


	13. Crossdresser's Ball

**Author's Notes: I wanted to start this chapter off right by saying that I can't tell you guys how much I appreciate all the support you've given this story! My mood has more or less tanked recently, leaving me really unsure about a number of things. It's been really difficult for me to find motivation to write anything, but you all have been a constant source of inspiration and I can't thank you enough for it! So please enjoy this fluff-fest!**

 **Before I forget, Lelouch's outfit is the same one that he wears in Picture Drama #6 (I think. I just know it's from Season 1.). If you can't find a way to watch the picture drama (it's hilarious, so I'd definitely recommend it), you can probably just do a Google image search.**

* * *

"So Harley...," Lelouch began, glancing over at the girl from his seat next to her. "You know the Crossdresser's Ball is this Friday, right?"

Harley blinked but didn't look up from playing her guitar. "Is it really? You mean that big event we've been planning since the term started? No, I had no idea."

Lelouch smiled and rolled his eyes. "Point taken, Lady Snarks-a-Lot, but there was something I wanted to ask you about."

"Shoot," Harley replied.

Lelouch took a quick breath. "Have you...asked anyone to go with you? Or has anyone asked you?"

"No, to both," Harley replied, shaking her head. "Honestly, I've been too focused on getting my costume ready to think much about finding a date."

Lelouch let out a quick sigh of relief before clearing his throat. "In that case, how would you feel about going with me?"

Harley looked up at him. "Really?"

Lelouch quirked an eyebrow. "Yes, really. Why do you sound so surprised?"

"Sorry," Harley apologized with a quick shake of her head. "It's just that you could ask any girl you wanted to. I'm surprised you're choosing to settle for me."

"I'm not settling for you," Lelouch replied, flicking Harley on the forehead before resting his head on her shoulder. "I know I could have asked any girl, but I wanted to ask my favorite girl." He nuzzled the top of his head against her neck. "So, will you go with me or not?"

Harley smiled. "Of course I will. Although I'm going to have to rethink the boots I was planning to wear."

"Why's that?" Lelouch asked.

"If I'm going to crossdress, I'm going to do it right," Harley replied. "I will _not_ be shorter than the lady I'm escorting. Fortunately, I have a pair of stiletto boots that should do the trick."

Lelouch chuckled. "Oh, this is gonna be fun."

* * *

"Hey, Lulu!" Shirley called, stopping the boy as they walked into class the next morning. "Do you have a second?"

"Yeah," Lelouch replied. "What's up, Shirley?"

"Well, it's about the ball this Friday," Shirley explained, her cheeks tinted red. "I was just wondering... I mean if you hadn't already been asked..."

"Actually, I asked Harley to go with me yesterday," Lelouch interjected. "Sorry, Shirley."

' _Of course you did_ ,' Shirley thought with a sigh before smiling brightly again and looking up at Lelouch. "You and Harley are really close, aren't you, Lulu?"

Lelouch nodded and Shirley couldn't help but be distressed by the slight flush in his cheeks. Equally distressing was the way his eyes lit up when he saw Harley walking toward them, headphones covering her ears and a distant look on her face as she let herself be absorbed by whatever she was listening to.

"Anyway, I'll talk to you later, Shirley," Lelouch said before walking off in Harley's direction.

Shirley could only watch forlornly as Lelouch made his way up to Harley, gently tapping her shoulder and she felt her heart sink when a bright smile overtook Harley's face.

* * *

' _Seriously, though,_ ' Lelouch thought. ' _How much damn eyeshadow does one girl need, anyway?_ '

Friday evening had come much faster than Lelouch had anticipated and everyone was busily getting themselves ready for the ball. Lelouch had opted to wear the same purple and white lolita-style dress he'd worn the previous year, but this time Harley had insisted on adding a little bit of eyeshadow. At first, he'd stubbornly refused but, through a combination of persistence that nearly matched his own and a few very well-timed eyelash flutters as well as promising him that she wouldn't do anything obvious or extravagant, Harley had managed to wear him down.

"Tell me again why you need so many different colors," Lelouch said.

"I told you already; I like having enough colors to match whatever I decide to wear," Harley replied as she picked up a pallette and set to work.

"Fair enough, but why did you bring all of them to school?" Lelouch asked. "It's not like you have many chances to wear something besides the uniform. Besides, you never wear makeup."

"That's where you're wrong, my dear," Harley corrected. "I actually wear a little everyday. It's just not very noticeable. It's actually the look I'm planning on using on you; bringing your eyes out without drawing a lot of attention to them. As for why I have all of them here...I guess I just like keeping my options open."

Lelouch chuckled. "But that begs another question: What do you _really_ look like?"

Harley quirked an eyebrow. "And that is a question you don't need to know the answer to, my fair lady." She smiled before backing up slightly to admire her handiwork. "I think we're done here."

Lelouch blinked. "That was quick."

"Yeah, well, I didn't really have that much to do," Harley replied. "You've got such beautiful eyes as it is; it didn't really take much to bring them out."

Lelouch cleared his throat, glancing away awkwardly as he felt his cheeks heat up. Once he registered the rest of what Harley had said, his head snapped back toward her. "Hang on. If you didn't have much to do to begin with, why were you so insistent on me wearing eyeshadow?"

Harley shrugged before leaning her face close to his again. "Who knows? Maybe I just wanted an excuse to put eyeshadow on someone else. " She fluttered her eyelashes and gently nuzzled her nose against his. "Or maybe I needed a reason to get close to that handsome face of yours."

Lelouch's eyes widened and his cheeks flushed at the contact. Harley moved to lean even closer to him and his eyes began to slide shut when, suddenly, Harley straightened herself back up and turned away from him.

"Well, I suppose it's time for me to finish getting ready," Harley said, a teasing smile on her face as she walked out of the room.

Lelouch continued to stare at the spot Harley had just been standing, a dazed look on his face, before looking over to the door. "Wait a second! Come back and tell me which one it was!"

* * *

"Umm, Harley?" Shirley began. "Not that I think your costume is a bad idea, but don't you think the bandages are a little...risky?"

"What do you mean?" Harley asked, adjusting her boots. She had decided to dress as a delinquent and her outfit consisted of her tall stiletto boots, a pair of black leather pants that might as well have been painted onto her, a black leather jacket that she wore on her shoulders, and bandages wrapped tightly around her chest in lieu of a shirt.

"Aren't you worried about the bandages coming undone?" Shirley asked.

"Not really," Harley replied. "I've got a strapless bra on underneath the bandages and, even if they do slip, I can just use the jacket until I can get to a place where I can fix them."

"Well I think it's a great idea," Milly threw in as she adjusted her prince costume. "It's a bold move, to be sure, but I've gotta give you props for going the extra mile."

"No, no," Harley protested. "Going the extra mile would have been carrying a metal bat around like I had originally planned."

"What made you change your mind?" Shirley asked as she slid on a pair of cowboy boots.

"Lelouch said it was too 'excessive'," Harley replied. "I figured he'd complain about the bandages, if he complained about anything, but he didn't seem too bothered by them."

"No, I'm sure he didn't," Milly said, a teasing smile on her face.

* * *

"Is everything okay?" Harley asked as she led Lelouch around the ballroom floor. "You've been staring at me since we started dancing."

"Have I?" Lelouch asked. "Sorry about that. I'm just not used to you being at eye-level."

Harley laughed before gently swatting at his arm. "Oh, shut up. It's not my fault you're ridiculously tall."

"It also just occurred to me that we're probably the most mismatched pair here," Lelouch commented. "You're a delinquent and I'm some noblewoman, princess thing."

"Well, if you'd prefer someone that matches you better, I'm sure there are plenty of eligible suitors that would love a dance with you, my lady," Harley retorted.

"Oh, shut up," Lelouch replied. "You give one of those girls an inch and they'll take a mile."

"Ah, so that's the real reason you asked me to go with you," Harley reasoned, a playful smile on her face. "You needed someone to shield you from your legion of fangirls. Or...fanboys for tonight, I guess."

"You know perfectly well that isn't true," Lelouch replied, flicking Harley's forehead. "You're my favorite. I told you that already."

"Ah, your favorite," Harley said, her smile widening. "Meaning there are others you get this touchy-feely with."

"Why do you keep twisting my words around?" Lelouch asked before letting out an exasperated sigh.

Harley shrugged. "Your reactions amuse me." She gently nuzzled her nose against his again. "In all seriousness, though, thank you for asking me. I didn't go last year and I was perfectly fine with flying solo this year, but I'm really happy I went with you."

Lelouch quirked an eyebrow. "Really?

"Of course!" Harley affirmed brightly. "It's not everyday a dashing rogue like me receives an invitation from such a lovely lady as yourself."

"You can't be serious for more than a few seconds, can you?" Lelouch scoffed. "You're probably the most well-spoken delinquent I've ever met, by the way."

"I guess I'm not very good at acting the part, huh?" Harley commented, her smile turning sheepish.

"I think it's charming," Lelouch replied. "And you've easily got one of the best costumes here. The bandages really are a nice touch." A smirk flickered across his face for the briefest of seconds before he leaned closer to Harley's ear, his voice lowering to a whisper. "And I hope you realize that the one untying them tonight is going to be me."

"I-I...I... Umm... Wha?" Harley stammered, a red blush sweeping over her face and Lelouch's ever-widening smirk making her even more flustered.

Lelouch leaned closer to Harley again, this time resting his forehead against hers. "That was payback for earlier," he said, nuzzling his nose against hers. "I have to say, though, it's more than a little amusing to see that you can't take what you dish out."

"Shut up. You just caught me off guard, that's all," Harley mumbled, turning her head away as her cheeks darkened even further.

"Harley-," Lelouch began, only to cut himself off when the song they had been dancing to suddenly ended. He grabbed her hand and began leading her off the dance floor. "Come on. I think you and I could both use something to eat."

"Hey, Lelouch," Harley said, causing the boy to stop. When she finally turned her head back toward him, most of her blush had receded, but her cheeks still bore a pink hue. "For the record, you're my favorite guy."

Lelouch quirked an eyebrow as a playful smile that mirrored Harley's overtook his face. "So that means there are others?"

"Keep it up," Harley warned. "I'll knock those beautiful teeth right out of your pretty little head."

"See, _now_ you sound like a delinquent," Lelouch pointed out as he proceeded to drag Harley away once again.

* * *

 **Ending Notes: I've been looking forward to getting this up for a while now! I'm looking to make each of the 'filler fluff' chapters (the ones before Lelouch gets his memory back) a little more intimate than the one before.**

 **Thank you all so much for reading! As always, feedback and constructive criticism are more than welcome! You guys rock! Geekinthepink, out!**


	14. Interruptions

**Author's Notes: I'm really sorry for the delay with this chapter! I've been pretty busy with work lately and my family was in last weekend for my younger sister's birthday. I hope this is fluffy enough to make up for my absence!**

* * *

Shirley let out a soft, sad sigh as she glanced over at Lelouch and Harley for the umpteenth time that morning. It was bad enough that the two had been assigned seats next to each other but now, ever since the ball, they seemed to have grown even closer than before. Their friendship had always been very open and teasing, but now there seemed to be an almost flirtatious air to it as well. Shirley had seen the pair exchange more than a few Eskimo kisses during the ball and, much to her dismay, this behavior was becoming a regular thing between them.

Compounding Shirley's worries was the fact that Lelouch's feelings for Harley became a little more obvious every day. At first, Shirley had been able to convince herself that the two were merely close friends with a strong respect for one another, but it was now becoming apparent to her that Lelouch wanted more from Harley than that. Harley, however, was either oblivious to Lelouch's true feelings or was putting on one hell of a poker face. Though it was obvious that she was very fond of Lelouch and enjoyed playfully teasing him, she never gave any noticeable indication that her affection for him was romantic. This eased Shirley's worries slightly, but the redhead was convinced that it wouldn't be long before Harley's feelings began to change.

Shirley was pulled out of her thoughts when she noticed Lelouch discreetly nudge Harley's hand with his own, writing something to her in his notebook when she glanced over at him.

* * *

Harley sighed softly as she jotted down some notes for class, not-so-patiently waiting for class to be over so she could grab something to eat. She blinked when she felt Lelouch's hand nudge hers and she glanced over to see what he wanted. She quirked an eyebrow when he began writing something to her, tilting her head slightly to read what it said.

'Don't go to the cafeteria like you normally do when this class lets out,' he had written. 'I made something for you for lunch today.'

Harley turned her head so that she was facing Lelouch and stared at him for a moment before writing back. 'Really? What's the occasion?'

'Do I really need an occasion to do something nice for you?'

Harley smirked. 'No. But I know you well enough to know that you're only extra sweet like this when you want something.'

Lelouch smiled before playfully nudging her shoulder. 'Fine, you got me. I actually do need your help with something.'

The lunch bell rang just as Harley was about to ask Lelouch to elaborate. He kept the same playful smile on his face before standing and gesturing for Harley to follow him.

* * *

"Has anyone seen Harley and Lelouch?" Milly asked as the rest of the group met up for lunch.

Rivalz shook his head. "They bolted as soon as class let out. I don't think they were headed for the cafeteria, though."

"The probably headed back to the clubhouse," Rolo chimed in. "Big brother told me that he was making a lunch for her today in addition to the ones he makes for the two of us. I wouldn't be surprised if they went back there to eat."

"Aww, that's adorable!" Milly squealed. "Lelouch is totally wrapped around Harley's finger, isn't he?"

"He's so whipped," Rivalz agreed.

"Hang on a sec. I think I see them!" Shirley exclaimed, pointing over to a tree near the far side of the school's courtyard. Sure enough, Harley and Lelouch were sitting underneath it, their backs against the trunk as they munched on some sandwiches. Shirley wasted no time making her way over to the pair, her arm raised as she called out to them.

"Wait! Hang on, Shirley!" Rivalz called. "I think they want-"

"There's no point in trying to reason with her," Milly cut in. "She obviously doesn't want the two of them left alone for very long. We might as well just follow her; their alone time's already been ruined."

* * *

"This sandwich is amazing!" Harley chirped as she and Lelouch took their spots underneath the tree. "I've said it before and I'll say it again: you'd make somebody a great wife, Lelouch." She smiled at his deadpan expression before resting her head on his shoulder. "So, what did you need my help with, anyway? And why did you want us to have lunch alone today?"

"Oh, right," Lelouch replied. "Well, I wanted to ask you without everyone else around. The thing is... I'm having a bit of a hard time grasping the stuff we've been covering in physics lately. You have a knack for that kind of thing, so I was hoping you could help."

That was a lie; Lelouch hadn't been having trouble in any of their classes, but the fact of it was that he wanted to spend a little time with Harley without the rest of their friends around. His original plan had been to find out what classes Harley was struggling in and offer to help her with them, hopefully creating a situation where he could figure out if Harley was as interested in him as he was in her. However, his plan hit a snag when he realized that Harley, as spacey as she sometimes appeared to be, didn't seem to have a 'weak' subject. She performed better in science and math classes than the others but her grades in the other classes were average at worse. In hindsight, Lelouch supposed it made sense; Harley was being groomed to take over her father's company and it wouldn't do for the head of a leading weapons development company to be anything but the best. Still, this meant that Lelouch had to edit his plan a bit. Harley didn't _need_ help in any of their classes, so offering it to her at this point would just be an insult. If he wanted to get a decent amount of alone time with her, he had to swallow his pride and ask her for help instead.

Harley blinked, lifting up her head and tilting it to the side. "You? You need help with physics?"

"Surprising, I know," Lelouch replied. "But it's true. In all honestly, I'm a little embarrassed about having to ask at all. That's why I pulled you away from everyone."

Harley gave him a small smile before glancing down at her sandwich. "You didn't have to go to all this trouble, you know. I'm flattered that you asked me at all, but it's not like I'd ever-"

"Yoo-hoo! Lulu! Harley!" called a voice from across the courtyard, causing the pair to jerk their heads in the direction of the sound.

' _Every time. Every. Single. Time,_ ' Lelouch thought in exasperation, barely suppressing a groan when he saw Shirley hurrying towards them and the rest of the group following a short distance away. His displeasure must have showed on his face because Harley offered him a reassuring smile and rested her hand on top of his.

"We'll talk more about it later but, to answer your question, yes," Harley said.

"What question?" Shirley asked as she settled on the grass next to them, glancing down at their hands.

"O-Oh," Harley stammered, sending a quick glance toward Lelouch before answering. "Lelouch was just asking me if I wanted to study with him, that's all. That new physics unit we're covering is pretty tricky and I want to make sure I have it down before the next test."

Lelouch kept his eyes trained on Harley, not noticing Shirley's response, if there was one at all. Even though he didn't actually need help with any of the work they were doing, he couldn't help the warm feeling spreading through him at the fact that she was trying to protect his pride.

* * *

' _Finally,_ ' Lelouch thought as he and Harley settled into her dorm room after classes let out for the day. They had agreed that going to her room would be more beneficial than going to the clubhouse. Harley had suggested it since it would limit the amount of distractions, but Lelouch had his own reasons for wanting to study there. It was far more private than the clubhouse, meaning there was little to no chance of the rest of their friends intruding this time. Even though there was no council meeting today, Lelouch wouldn't have been surprised if someone had burst into the clubhouse just as he was about to confess.

The pair had been reviewing the material from class but Lelouch was hardly able to focus. His eyes kept straying to Harley's lips as she spoke and it was all he could do to keep himself from sweeping his tongue over his own. He felt slightly guilty about lying to her, but he could have listened to Harley explain this stuff to him all night long. Without thinking, he reached over and gently brushed a stray piece of Harley's hair behind her ear. The action startled her into looking up at him and Lelouch couldn't help but smile at the sight of her wide grey eyes. He began to lean his head closer to hers...and a loud knock suddenly sounded at the door.

Harley's head snapped toward the door and she stood. "Oh... Umm... Just a sec, Lelouch, okay?"

Lelouch's head met the table they had been working at. ' _Every. Damn._ _ **Time!**_ '

Harley opened the door to reveal Shirley standing on the other side. "Oh! Hey, Shirley! What's going on?"

"Hey, Harley!" the redhead greeted cheerfully. "I'm sorry to just drop by like this, but swim club let out a little early today and then I remembered you saying that you and Lulu were going to be studying together. If it's not too much of an imposition, I was kind of hoping I could join you."

' _Don't let me down, Harley!_ ' Lelouch thought frantically. ' _For once in your life, do not be a sweetheart-_ '

"Sure!" Harley chirped, causing Lelouch's head to meet the table once again. "What are you having trouble with?"

* * *

The trio finished studying for the night a couple of hours later and Shirley headed back to her own room. To say Lelouch had been peeved by her interruption was more than an understatement; he'd never be able to tell Harley how he felt if he couldn't get her alone for more than a few minutes!

Harley heaved a heavy sigh and flopped onto her bed, pulling Lelouch from his thoughts. "Ya know, as much as I adore Shirley, I was kind of hoping it would've been just you and me tonight."

"Really?" Lelouch asked, his cheeks flushing pink. "Then why did you...?"

"You know me, Lelouch," Harley replied. "You know I can't turn somebody down when they ask for help. Besides, what would you have said? There really wasn't anything keeping us from letting her join." She sighed. "Just the same, you and I don't really get many chances to hang out by ourselves, do we? It's not that I don't love hanging out with everyone, but you and I...I dunno... It feels like I have more fun around you."

"Is that really how you've been feeling?" Lelouch asked.

Harley nodded, patting the space beside her.

"I think I might know a way to remedy that," Lelouch replied as he joined her on the bed. "My birthday's coming up at the beginning of next month."

"Oh yeah!" Harley interjected. "I've been meaning to ask you what you wanted."

"How about you and I spend the day together, just us two?" Lelouch suggested.

"I thought Milly and I were going to make a big dinner in your honor and then we were all going to watch movies," Harley pointed out.

Lelouch shrugged. "We'll still have most of the day leading up to that, right? I'd really like to spend it with you. We can ditch class and everything."

Harley snorted before curling into his side. "You're gonna get held back if you keep skipping. Still, it sounds like a really good way to spend a day." She smiled up at him. "Let's do it."

Lelouch's violet orbs met Harley's grey ones and he couldn't stop himself from leaning down and gently kissing her cheek. "It's a date, then."

* * *

 **Ending Notes: Once again, I'm really sorry about the delay!**

 **In other news (and I'll be posting it on my profile as well), I'm planning on getting to work on an Undertale story soon! It'll take place after the events of the Pacifist Run when monsters and humans are attempting to coexist and will focus on our favorite monsters interactions with a group of human OCs that help them get adjusted to live above ground. If any of you are into Undertale, please check it out!**

 **As always, feedback and constructive criticism are always welcome! Thank you all so much for reading! Geekinthepink, out!**


	15. Birthday

**Author's Notes: I know I'm not really going into a lot of detail about what everyone is eating/watching here, so just insert your favorite foods and movie or whatever you think Lelouch would want to eat/watch on his birthday.**

* * *

The fifth of December dawned bright and early and Lelouch yawned as he began to wake up for the day. He kept his eyes closed, not quite ready to get ready for class yet, but found that he wasn't able to move when he attempted to roll onto his side. His eyes snapped open, only to focus on Harley's smiling face. The girl had somehow managed to get into his room, climb onto his bed, and straddle him without waking him up. Lelouch couldn't stop his cheeks from heating up when he woke up enough to realize the position they were in.

"Harley...," he began. "Not that I'm unhappy to see you, but how did you get in here?"

"Rolo let me in," Harley replied.

"And how long have been laying on me like that?" Lelouch asked.

"About ten minutes," Harley answered. "You said you wanted us to spend your birthday together, so I figured I should be here the moment you woke up."

"And you felt the need to lay on top of me like this because...?" Lelouch probed.

"Because you're amazingly comfortable," Harley replied simply, lowering herself so that she was resting on top of him completely. "I can get off if it's bothering you, though."

"I never said that," Lelouch pointed out. "I don't mind this at all; I was just a little curious." He paused. "Do you wake all your friends up like this?"

Harley smiled and nuzzled her nose against his. "Just the cute ones." She sighed and began to sit up. "Are you ready to get up? I was thinking about making you orange rolls for breakfast."

"You know, it still blows me away that you know how to bake," Lelouch commented before pulling her back down, resting his hands on the small of her back. "But...I was actually kind of hoping we could stay like this for a little longer. I mean, it's not like we're going to class today."

Harley quirked an eyebrow. "You want us to stay like this? Me on top of you?"

"I don't have a problem with it," Lelouch assured her. "Besides, I think we both could do with a little more sleep."

Harley still didn't look entirely convinced. Lelouch sent her a gentle smile and reached up to pet the top of her head, slowly running his fingers through her hair. His smile widened when he felt Harley push her head into his hand.

"That's playing dirty and you know it," Harley mumbled as she rested her head down on his chest, her eyelids already growing heavy.

"I'm not doing anything to keep you from getting up, though," Lelouch pointed out. "And you aren't doing anything to stop me. In fact, I'm half expecting you to start purring."

"Shut up," Harley grumbled, weakly smacking her hand against Lelouch's chest as she nuzzled him. She yawned before slowly closing her eyes.

"Harley...," Lelouch began as he continued to pet her hair. "You know I'm not the best at voicing how I feel. I'm just... I'm really happy that I've got you here with me today. I know we've got classes and the council meetings and all that but...it just feels good to finally have you to myself." He took a breath. "Look, I guess what I'm really trying to say is that I absolutely adore you, Harley. I have for a really long time. I never said anything to you about it because I didn't want to risk messing up our friendship, but I just...I need to know if you feel the same way. I want to be with you so badly, Harley."

No response.

"Harley, please say something," Lelouch pleaded, a nervous laugh lacing his voice. "At least tell me I didn't just screw everything up."

Still no response.

"Harley, seriously," Lelouch said. "This isn't funny. Don't do this to me!" When Harley still didn't reply, Lelouch propped himself up to look at her, only to see that the girl had fallen asleep resting on top of him. He sighed before flopping back down. "Well, that figures. It's probably for the best anyway. Besides, at least I know she didn't reject me this time." He looked down at Harley as her hand clutched gently at his shirt and her lips parted slightly as she slept. There was no way he could stay irritated with her; the girl was too sweet for her own good. Lelouch sighed and rested his hand on the small of her back again before pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "Sleep well, Harley."

* * *

"So Lelouch and Harley didn't show up to class this morning?" Milly asked as the rest of the group settled to have lunch.

Rivalz shook his head. "Nope. Haven't seen either of them all day. I'm not surprised about Lelouch, but it's not like Harley to ditch class."

"She skipped because Lelouch asked her to, though," Rolo replied.

"Wait, so the two of them are together?" Shirley asked.

Rolo nodded. "Lelouch told me he asked Harley to spend his birthday with him. I let her in this morning and, the last I saw, she'd perched herself on top of Lelouch while she was waiting for him to wake up. We're all still doing the dinner and movie thing later, but I think he wanted a little time with just her. Not really sure why, though."

"Is that right?" Milly asked, a sly smile gracing her features. "I'll have to remember to ask her about it while we're making dinner for everyone."

* * *

The rest of the morning and afternoon had gone smoothly. Harley appeared to have fallen asleep before she could hear Lelouch's confession and he was simultaneously relieved and irked; relieved because she couldn't reject him if she hadn't heard what he'd said and irked because he'd finally gotten up the nerve to say something to her, only for it to fall on deaf ears. He wasn't sure when he'd get the nerve up again, but this did give him a chance to create a more...optimal environment for a confession of love at another time. If he was able to set the right mood and Harley reciprocated his feelings, they might end up doing more in bed than just sleeping.

Currently, Lelouch was out in the ballroom of the clubhouse socializing while Harley and Milly cooked. He was mildly surprised when he found out that Harley knew how to cook and bake; nobles had cooks in their homes to take of that. Harley had explained that baking was a hobby of her mother's and Lady Asplund had passed it on to Harley when she was little. Harley's interest in the subject lead her to try experimenting with methods of cooking besides baking and she had grown quite proficient at it. It relieved him a little to know that Milly now had someone besides him to rope into cooking for everyone.

' _Although,_ ' he thought with a quick glance toward the kitchen. ' _I wouldn't be surprised if Milly's drilling her about what we've been doing all day._ '

* * *

"So what have you and Lelouch been up to today, Harley?" Milly asked as the pair flitted about the kitchen.

Harley merely shrugged in response. "Just hanging out. Nothing out of the ordinary. Why do you ask?"

"It's just not like him to actually ask someone to spend his birthday with him," Milly pointed out. "Or...any day, really. Lelouch usually keeps to himself unless he's spending time with Rolo."

"Well, a couple weeks ago, I mentioned to him that I wished we could have some more time to hang out, just the two of us," Harley recalled. "That was when he suggested that we spend his birthday together, so it could very well have been that he was just placating me."

"Somehow, I doubt that," Milly replied. "Why choose his birthday? Why not just pick a random day? If he was just trying to placate you, would it really matter what day it was? I mean, it's not like he has any qualms about skipping class."

"What are you getting at, Milly?" Harley asked.

"I'm saying that I'm pretty sure our boy's got quite a thing for you, my dear," Milly said, the smile never leaving her face. "In all the time I've known him, you and Rolo are the only people he's actually gone out of his way to spend time with. Not to mention the fact that he asked you to the Crossdresser's Ball. Lelouch never asks anyone to events like that; he usually just waits for someone to ask him."

"Milly, Lelouch and I are just friends," Harley replied. "Besides, I don't think I'm ready for a relationship at this point. I doubt he could ever think of me that way, anyway."

"You just keep telling yourself that," Milly retorted.

* * *

"That dinner was incredible, you guys!" Shirley commented as the group settled into the living room. "Wrapping the filet in bacon was a really nice touch!"

"Seriously, you two really outdid yourselves," Lelouch agreed. He shot a quick glance toward Harley, pulling her down onto a small love seat with him. "Can you make that graham cracker pie for my birthday every year?"

"I'll make it for you every day if you like it that much," Harley replied, reclining a bit before curling herself against Lelouch's side.

Lelouch couldn't help but smile at the action. Ever since their nap together earlier that day, he'd discovered that he felt almost cold whenever he didn't have some kind of physical contact with Harley. He felt warmth spread through him when he realized that Harley appeared to reciprocate this sentiment; she'd spent most of his birthday dinner with her shoulder gently resting against his.

Lelouch was pulled from his thoughts as the lights were dimmed and the movie was started. After a few moments, Lelouch leaned back to recline next to her and slowly rested his arm across Harley's shoulders, his smile widening when he felt her drop her head onto his shoulder. It wasn't long before Lelouch's attention was pulled from the movie entirely and reached his hand up to run his fingers through Harley's hair.

"Mmm, you're gonna put me to sleep again, Lelouch," Harley mumbled as she leaned her head into his touch.

Lelouch chuckled as quietly as he could. "I can't help it. Your hair's fun to play with. Mine's heavy and straight, but yours is really soft and fluffy. Besides, it's kind of cute seeing you all drowsy like this. It's almost like you turn into a little kitten." He let out a quick sigh. "If it's really bothering you, though, I'll stop."

Harley snorted and shook her head. "You don't have to. It's your birthday, so I guess I can let it slide this time."

It didn't take Harley very long to fall asleep once again and Lelouch kept a warm and tender gaze on her sleeping face. Her warm breath ghosted gently over his neck, causing a shiver to race up and down his spine a few times, and she curled closer to him, resting her hand on his chest. Lelouch carefully brought his free hand up to Harley's face, keeping his first hand around her shoulders and gently trailed the backs of his knuckles along her cheek while discreetly whispering sweet little nothings into her ear.

* * *

"So...what are we going to do with Harley, big brother?" Rolo asked after the movie had finished and everyone else had gone back to their dorms for the evening. "Should we wake her up?"

Lelouch shook his head before gathering Harley up into his arms. "No, let her sleep. She can just stay in my room tonight."

Rolo quirked an eyebrow in response. "Are you sure that's a good idea? You seem to have a hard time controlling yourself around her. I saw the way you were petting her during the movie."

"Sh-Shut up," Lelouch replied, his cheeks flushing and he turning and started towards his room. "She stayed in my room when she come down with that fever, remember? I controlled myself then and I'll control myself now. Stop making me sound like I'm some kind of pervert."

Rolo merely shrugged. "Whatever you say, big brother." ' _But I have intelligence about how you acted toward her before both of you had your memories rewritten. I'd really rather not let those scenarios recreate themselves, but I don't know how to stop you without sounding suspicious. I suppose I'll just have to keep a closer watch on you both. Unfortunately, given her status and psychotic butler, it won't be as easy for me to eliminate Harley if I think she's becoming a liability but I'm certain she can be dealt with some other way._ '

* * *

 **Ending Notes: Once again, feedback and constructive criticism are always welcome! Thank you all so much for reading and I hope all of you had a happy Easter! Geekinthepink, out!**


	16. The Trouble With Eggnog

**Author's Notes: Because who doesn't love a little drunk Christmas fluff?**

 **Once again, I'm sorry for the delay on this one. I've started writing an Undertale story and I've been getting more ideas and motivation to work on it. That said, I refuse to abandon any story I start, so this one is going to be completed. At some point, at some place, and with some people.**

* * *

"Don't get me wrong, Madame President," Shirley began. "I'm all for throwing a Christmas party for the council once exams are finished, but do you really think eggnog is a good idea?"

"Come on, Shirley," Milly insisted. "You can't have a Christmas party without eggnog!"

"But we're on the Student Council," Shirley pointed out. "What kind of example would we be setting by drinking?"

"That's only if we get caught," Harley replied. "My dad's a Count and Milly's grandfather is the principal; they can fix things if it comes to that. Besides, you can't end a good party without somebody on the floor."

"Yeah, Shirley, don't be such a stick in the mud!" Rivalz agreed. "There's nothing wrong with living it up every once in a while, right?"

Shirley sighed before turning her gaze to Lelouch and Rolo. "Please tell me you're on my side, Lulu. You're the Vice President; if anybody can talk some sense into them, you can."

"She might have a point, guys," Lelouch reasoned, his gaze directed primarily toward Milly. "Even if it's just a party for the Student Council, what would we do if somebody got hurt? The school board could ban us from hosting all those festivals and events you love so much, Prez." He redirected his stare toward Harley. "And I _did_ make a promise to your father that I'd keep you out of trouble."

"But it's just one night," Harley protested, scooting a little closer to Lelouch and nuzzling her head underneath his chin. "It's not like any of us are gonna be able to leave campus. Besides, it's just gonna be the six of us. How much trouble can we possibly get into?"

"Uh...U-Ummm," Lelouch stammered, his cheeks flushing a light pink as he tried to ignore Milly's amused stare and Shirley's distraught expression. "I-I'm just not sure if-" He cut himself off, his blush darkening, when he felt Harley shift her body out of her chair and into his lap.

"Pleeeease, Lelouch," Harley cooed, pressing herself as close to him as she could and nuzzling against his neck, oblivious to Shirley's ever-growing distress.

Lelouch didn't answer immediately, but a few more minutes of nuzzling from Harley finally did him in. "F-Fine..."

"Alright!" Milly cheered. "Now we can throw a real Christmas party! And don't worry, guys, we promise to be careful."

* * *

They could not have been less careful. Rivalz, Milly, and Harley managed to get themselves drunk almost as soon as the eggnog had been set out. Rivalz was barely able to stand up on his own, Milly was busily grabbing the asses of anyone within arm's length, and Harley was wobbling in one spot as she giggled at absolutely everything.

"I can't believe Harley got me to agree to this," Lelouch groaned as he slid his hand down his face. He looked over at the girl in question to see that Rivalz was attempting to use her as some sort of leverage to stand up, but given Harley's wobbly state, he just ended dragging her to the ground. The pair blinked stupidly for a moment before laughing their asses off.

"You do seem to have a difficult time saying no to her, big brother," Rolo pointed out. For the sake of his mission, he had decided not to partake in the drunken shenanigans of the evening. Lelouch had also chosen to remain sober; while he said it was because he wanted to be sure nothing bad happened, Rolo suspected that Lelouch just wanted to keep an eye on Harley.

"I can't help it," Lelouch replied. "Harley just...she makes me feel things I haven't felt before."

"Interesting," Rolo commented. ' _Should you get your memories back, she might prove to be a useful means of leverage._ '

"Heeeeeeeyyy, Lelouch," Harley slurred as she stumbled over to the 'brothers'. "I've got... I've got somethin' reaaaaaaaal important to tell you."

Lelouch quirked an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yeah," Harley affirmed. "I want you to know..." She slowly reached her hand out and began to repeatedly run it down his face. "This is how you pet a pony."

"Seriously?" Lelouch asked, slightly exasperated. "Do I look like a pony to you?"

"Not really," Harley replied, though she refused to stop petting his face. "I think I wanna ride you like one, though."

"Wh-What?!" Lelouch sputtered, bright red washing over his face. Harley continued petting him, seemingly oblivious to his reaction. He took a few breaths to steady himself before speaking again. "Harley... Do you have any idea what you just said to me?"

Harley looked away for a moment, only to turn back toward Lelouch and attempt to get her eyes to stay in focus long enough to answer him. "What?"

"Okay, no you don't," Lelouch sighed out before dragging the brunette toward a nearby chair. "I think you need to sit for a second, Harley. You're not yourself right now. It'd probably be best if we got some water in you, too."

"Haaang on just a sec," Harley protested as Lelouch was about to turn around. She immediately latched her arms around his waist and pulled him closer to her, nuzzling her head against his abdomen. "I dunno why you seem so surprised. I've always thought you were a very pretty man."

"Y-You don't say," Lelouch stammered as he tried to keep himself calm. As desperately as he was trying not to enjoy this situation, his body appeared to working against him. He could feel the blood rushing to his lower regions and he was determined to keep this predicament from escalating.

This was not helped by the fact that Harley decided at that exact moment to reach around and grab at his backside.

"Harley, what are you doing?" Lelouch asked, his voice strained as he tried to keep himself calm. ' _Don't stop, though. Dear God, Harley, please don't stop._ '

"Can't help it," Harley replied as she happily nuzzled his abdomen again. "You've got a really nice ass." She was quiet for a moment. "There's something familiar about it, too. Like I've done something like this to you before."

"Trust me, I'd remember if you did," Lelouch said, eyes darting around the room in an futile attempt to find something else to focus on. When a few minutes had passed and Harley showed no sign of stopping, Lelouch hoisted her off the chair and into his arms. "We'll see you guys later. I'm gonna put this one to bed before she does anything stupid."

"Are you sure you're not just gonna try to get in her pants?" Milly called out, leaning against Shirley to keep herself upright.

"Yes, please!" Harley cheered.

Lelouch just sighed in response. ' _As tempting as that sounds, I'm not going to take advantage of her while she's like this. I don't need to give that axe-crazy butler of hers a legitimate reason to come after me. Besides, she deserves better than that._ '

* * *

Lelouch ultimately decided that keeping Harley with him that night would be safer than trusting her to get back to her own room without causing some sort of incident. He wasn't sure if her new-found sexual openness was directed solely toward him or if she just wanted to jump on the most attractive person she saw when she'd had a little too much.

"Lelouuuuch," Harley whined as she nuzzled into the pillow, holding her arms out toward him. "Will you come and lay down with me?"

"That depends on you," Lelouch replied, much like a parent trying to negotiate with a small child. "If I lay down with you, are you going to go to sleep?"

Harley nodded, her arms still stretched toward him. Lelouch studied her for a while, as if he wasn't entirely sure she'd keep her word, before heading over and settling in bed next to her. As soon as he'd settled himself in, however, Harley immediately threw her leg over his waist.

"You promised me you were going to go to sleep," Lelouch reminded her, though he made no effort to move away from her.

"Mmhmm. Never promised to go to sleep right now," Harley pointed out as she began covering Lelouch's neck with little kisses.

Lelouch felt his breathing hitch as soon as Harley's lips met his neck. ' _No, no, I can't let myself enjoy this. Harley's not... She's not..._ ' He barely suppressed a moan as Harley began peppering in a few nibbles in addition to her kisses. Without thinking, Lelouch tilted his head just slightly to give her more access, his arms winding around her waist and pulling her against his chest. ' _Oh, what the hell? I guess there's no harm in letting her do this for a little while. She'll probably just wear herself out eventually._ '

* * *

Harley woke up the next morning with a splitting headache. She sat up in the bed with a groan, blinking away the sleep, only to realize that she wasn't back in her dorm room. She'd been in Lelouch's room enough to recognise it, but her recollection of the events leading up to how she got there last night were more than a little hazy.

' _Okay, let me see...,_ ' Harley thought, trying to ignore the pain in her skull. ' _The Christmas party was last night. I remember drinking way more eggnog than I probably should have. And then everything was funny. And then... Oh, dear God... Please tell me I didn't actually proposition my best friend. Please tell me that was just a dream brought on by the eggnog._ ' She flopped backward onto the pillow. ' _Fuck me, Lelouch probably hates me now. I don't even know what I'm supposed to-_ '

Harley was startled out of her thoughts as Lelouch walked back into the room, a glass of water in his hands.

"Hey," he said as he handed her the glass. "You feeling okay?"

"Umm, yeah. Thanks," Harley replied, sitting up and taking the glass. The room was enveloped in awkward silence for a moment before she spoke up again. "Listen, I'm really sorry about last night. I'd never had that much to drink at one time before and I had idea I was gonna turn into a horny drunk and I understand if you don't want to hang out with me anymore, but I just wanted you to know that-"

Harley's rambling apology was cut off when Lelouch gently pressed a finger to her lips.

"You don't have to apologize, Harley," Lelouch assured her. "You weren't yourself last night. Besides, I could never be angry with you." ' _Besides, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't enjoyable._ '

"Are you sure?" Harley asked.

Lelouch nodded. "How about we just take last night as a learning experience? Now we know not to let you have that much alcohol in one sitting." He sat down next to Harley, taking note of the unconvinced look on her face. "I promise I'm not upset with you."

Harley sighed, a relaxed smile on her face as she leaned against Lelouch. "Thanks. And thanks for...you know...being a sweetheart about this whole mess."

"You mean for not taking advantage of you?" Lelouch asked, resting his head against hers. "You don't have to thank me for being a decent person, Harley."

"I appreciate it just the same," Harley replied. "I have been wondering about something, though." She paused, her cheeks turning pink. "Do you think we can...maybe...cuddle like that a little more often?"

Lelouch blinked. "I...Are you...Really?"

"Y-Yeah," Harley affirmed. "I've actually been meaning to ask you about it since your birthday, but I always got nervous just before asking you about it."

Lelouch chuckled before taking the glass from Harley and setting it on his nightstand before pulling her to lay back down with him. "We can do this whenever you want. I was actually kind of hoping to ask you about it at some point, too."

Harley smiled before nuzzling against Lelouch's chest. "You're the best, Lelouch."

"Yeah, you too," Lelouch replied, reaching up to pet Harley's hair.

* * *

 **Ending Notes: If I had written this chapter earlier in the story, I'm pretty sure the ending would have been wildly different.**

 **Just a little heads up for the next chapter; things are gonna get a little...steamy between Lelouch and Harley. They're not going to have sex (namely because I don't feel confident that I can write it well), but they are going to fool around a bit.**

 **As always, feedback and constructive criticism are more than welcome! Thank you so much for reading! Geekinthepink, out!**


	17. A Very Happy New Year

**Author's Notes: Not gonna say too much at the start here except thank you all for being so patient with me. I hit a serious case of writer's block and had zero motivation to do anything about it, but I hope this chapter makes up for it!**

* * *

"Thanks for letting Rolo and me hang out here over New Years, Harley," Lelouch said as the pair walked into Harley's room at the Asplund estate. "It's nice to finally have a chance to leave campus. I have to admit, though, I'm kind of surprised your father agreed to it."

"Why wouldn't he?" Harley asked as she flopped down onto her bed. "He likes you well enough. I wasn't expecting Mom to intercept Rolo as soon as you guys got here, but he didn't seem to mind too much so I guess this worked out for everyone."

Lelouch smiled as he joined her, resting his head against hers. He'd been more than a little eager to accept Harley's invitation to spend New Year's together. Staying at the Asplund estate insured a reasonable measure of privacy, so he might actually be able to make some sort of move without being interrupted. He would have preferred that it were just the two of them, but he couldn't just leave Rolo and he knew Harley didn't get to spend much time with both of her parents together.

"How is your bed this comfortable?" Lelouch asked as he closed his eyes and nuzzled his head against Harley's pillow.

Harley shrugged. "I think it's a nobility thing."

"Well the beds at Ashford aren't nearly this soft," Lelouch replied. "If you stay where you are, I could probably fall asleep in about five minutes."

"Ah-ha, my elaborate plan to lure you into my bed has succeeded," Harley snarked as she rolled onto her side and wound her arms around Lelouch's waist.

Lelouch snorted. "Oh sure, I can tell you put a lot of thought into it. Your seduction skills are unmatched."

"I'll have you know that I spent seven minutes coming up with this plan," Harley replied. "Seven. Whole. Minutes."

"Seven, really?" Lelouch asked. "You must be losing your touch." He pulled her closer to him, a warm smile on his face. ' _And the last thing you need to get me in bed with you is an elaborate plan._ '

Harley smiled back as she nuzzled against his chest. "Seriously, though. You can sleep in here with me while you're here. I don't mind." She turned her head away from him, a pink blush dusting her cheeks. "I was...actually kind of hoping you would. The bed's really comfortable but...it's been a little lonely to sleep in a bed this size by myself." She chuckled nervously. "I guess all those times I cuddled up next to you have spoiled me a bit and since I've got you more or less to myself this weekend..."

Lelouch's head snapped toward Harley, cheeks flushed and eyes wide. "Y-Yeah, I'd like that too," he replied, trying his best not to sound too excited. He was hoping he'd find a way to accidentally-on-purpose fall asleep in Harley's bed at least once while they were here, but he didn't think she'd come right out and invite him to stay with her. Ever since the Christmas party, he'd been secretly hoping that her drunken behavior was at least somewhat indicative of her attraction to him and, as embarrassed as they had both been by the events of that evening, he had hoping she would be open to a repeat of those actions. He had been unable to keep himself from replaying her actions over and over in his head and he wanted nothing more than to feel her lips on his neck again.

' _And this time, if something does happen, I won't be too flustered to react,_ ' Lelouch swore to himself.

* * *

Unfortunately for Lelouch, getting Harley alone proved to be no easy task. Lelouch was well aware that wherever Harley went, Graham followed not far behind; he knew Graham was going to be at the estate, but he hadn't counted on the butler's impeccable timing. The red-haired man somehow seemed to know whenever Lelouch was planning to make a move toward Harley and found some reason to drag her away every single time. Lelouch was equally aware that Graham didn't like him, but that didn't make the glare he'd send Lelouch whenever Harley wasn't looking any less chilling. The glare itself wouldn't have been so bad on its own, but Lelouch could have sworn that he saw one of the butler's eyes glow red when he did so.

Presently, Lelouch was sitting with Rolo as they watched Harley and her mother make breakfast, his eyes glued to Harley's form as a small smile appeared on his lips. Ever since they'd arrived, Rachel had been fawning over the younger Lamperouge and Rolo hadn't been entirely sure how to respond. When Harley questioned her mother, all she'd said was 'Because, dear, I've always wanted a son'. Though he was throughly confused at first, Rolo seemed to be getting used the woman's eccentricities; Lelouch was almost positive he was beginning to enjoy the motherly attention Rachel had been showering him with.

"You love her, don't you," came a voice from behind the brothers, causing both of them to jump. The boys turned to see Sebastian standing behind them with an amused smile on his face.

"Wh-What?" Lelouch asked, feeling his face heat up.

"Harley," Sebastian elaborated. "You love her."

"Is it that obvious?" Lelouch asked.

"Well, everybody in this house can see it," Sebastian replied. "Everybody but Harley, it would seem." Lelouch noticed the butler cast a quick glance toward Rachel. "It seems selective obliviousness is an Asplund family trait."

"I...umm...w-well, I...," Lelouch stammered.

Sebastian chuckled. "You don't have to be embarrassed, my friend. Actually, I'd like to help you if you'd permit me."

"Help me?" Lelouch repeated. "But you work for this family. Shouldn't you... I don't know...be against me getting together with Harley because I'm not worthy of her or something? I thought nobles were supposed to be with other nobles."

Sebastian shrugged. "In most circumstances, yes, but have you known Harley or her parents to follow any sort of nobility protocol since you've met them? Count Brevard and Lady Asplund decided, following the collapse of their marriage, that Harley would be permitted to be with and wed a partner of her choosing, no matter their social status or gender."

"That's reassuring, I guess, but it still doesn't explain why you want to help me," Lelouch pointed out.

"Because, unlike me, you actually have a chance of being with the woman you love," Sebastian replied.

"'The woman you love'? Do you mean Harley's mother?" Lelouch asked.

Sebastian nodded, his fond gaze pulled toward Rachel. "I do. I've loved Lady Asplund since far before I entered her service. She's a very rare woman and always has been. Even after she married and Harley was born, I couldn't bring myself to stop loving her."

"What's stopping you from being with her now?" Lelouch asked. "She and Count Brevard are divorced and you're practically Harley's second father anyway."

"I am a professional, Master Lelouch," Sebastian explained. "Any personal feelings that I may have toward Lady Asplund cannot come before my obligation to serve her." He sighed. "Besides, she deserves someone better. A noblewoman such as she should not lower herself to be with someone as servile as myself." He redirected his gaze toward Lelouch. "You, however, are not bound by any such obligation. And I have reason to suspect that Harley has feelings for you, too, even if she isn't fully aware of them herself."

"What makes you say that?" Lelouch asked, trying not to sound too interested even though his rapidly reddening cheeks gave him away.

"Just the way she talks about you," Sebastian replied. "There's a very evident fondness in her voice and her eyes become much warmer whenever she does. This is also the happiest I've seen her since the holiday break started. That and the fact that she's never expressed an interest in inviting anyone over to the estate until you came along. So you see, I can't let you sit back and miss this opportunity." He paused, another amused smile creeping over his face. "Unless, of course, you aren't interested and you don't want my help-"

"I never said that," Lelouch cut in quickly. "Now that I think of it, though, there is one thing you can do that would be a tremendous help. Is there any way you can keep Graham from dragging Harley off? And can you tell me what I did to make him hate me so much?"

"Of course. Keeping Graham away from Harley should be easy enough," Sebastian agreed. "As for why he dislikes you, I cannot say. Graham's always been an odd bird. Still, I doubt he'd make any move to physically harm you, so try not to let him worry you too much."

* * *

The rest of the day continued rather smoothly. Sebastian had been true to his promise and intercepted Graham repeatedly throughout the day and Rolo had remained near Rachel once breakfast had been finished, leaving Lelouch and Harley to their own devices. Tony had been working on something in the garage behind the estate and only came out to set off fireworks with everyone for New Year's Eve that night.

It might have just been his imagination in light of what Sebastian had said to him earlier, but it seemed to Lelouch that Harley was acting a little different around him. While her wanting to be close to him wasn't anything new, this evening she seemed to want to be physically touching him every time they stood together. It wasn't anything obvious or invasive and it could very well have just been the cold, but she would stand just close enough that her shoulder brushed against his or she would link her arm with his and occasionally rest her head on his shoulder. Lelouch could have also sworn that he saw her cheeks turn pink whenever he would speak to her, but that could have also been due to the cold. So he was more than a little thrown when, upon retiring to Harley's room for the night, the girl immediately pulled his face toward hers and pressed her lips against his. The kiss was sloppy and a little awkward; it was clear Harley didn't really know what she was doing, but Lelouch was too surprised and elated to care. Unfortunately, Harley broke the kiss before Lelouch could pull himself together enough to reciprocate.

"I...Umm...Why?" Lelouch asked, taking in Harley's flushed cheeks and labored breathing as his hands found her hips.

"I've been wanting to do that since the Christmas party," Harley panted out. "That's part of why I invited you out here but I've never kissed anyone before so I kept getting nervous about asking you and-"

Lelouch cut Harley off by pulling her into another kiss, one arm wrapping around her waist while the other drifted up her back to rest against the back of her head. He smiled inwardly when he felt Harley's arms wind around his neck and he tilted his head just slightly to deepen the kiss, his tongue quickly meeting Harley's in an erotic dance.

Harley could barely suppress a moan as she felt Lelouch's tongue wind around her own. She hadn't given this plan very much thought, but it was going much better than she hoped that it would. She pulled back from the kiss to gasp as she fell backward onto her bed; she must have been too caught up to realize that Lelouch had been steering her toward it. She looked up at him in confusion, only for him to settle himself on top of her and begin kissing and nibbling at her neck.

"Pretty sure I already know the answer to this, but you're not upset about this, are you?" Harley asked, moaning softly as Lelouch reached the sensitive part of her neck.

"I think that's the dumbest thing that's ever come out of your mouth," Lelouch replied, suckling at Harley's neck just hard enough to leave a mark.

"So you wouldn't be opposed to doing this more often?" Harley asked.

Lelouch paused, looking down at Harley with a disbelieving stare. "Nevermind. _That's_ the dumbest thing that's ever come out of your mouth."

Harley let out a breathy chuckle. "Mmm, good. Because ever since the party, I've been ridiculously horny."

Lelouch peppered a few more kisses on her neck before replying. "And this is all it'll take to satisfy you?"

"For now," Harley replied, unbuttoning Lelouch's shirt and planting a few kisses and love bites on his chest. "I told you this is the most intimate thing I've ever done with anyone; I'm too nervous for much more right now and you're the only person I trust enough to do this type of thing with..."

Lelouch nodded, closing his eyes when he felt Harley's feathery-soft lips meet his chest. "Fair enough. One thing though."

"Hmm?" Harley asked, glancing up at him.

"If you get to leave marks on my chest, I think it's only fair that I get to leave some marks on yours," Lelouch said, a wolfish smile playing on his lips.

"Fine by me," Harley agreed as she set to work at removing her sweater and undershirt.

Lelouch was barely able to keep himself from licking his lips as more and more of Harley's creamy skin was gradually exposed to him. He took a moment to slowly run his hand over what wasn't covered by her bra, marveling at how soft her skin felt, before lowering his lips and planting gentle kisses and love bites on what he could reach of her breasts. He glanced up at Harley just in time to see her eyelids flutter shut and her head press into the pillow as she arched up toward his lips.

"I take it I'm doing a decent enough job, then," Lelouch commented.

"Mmm," Harley purred. "This is amazing. Can't believe I didn't think to do this sooner."

"Neither can I," Lelouch replied.

* * *

Harley and Lelouch settled down to go to sleep a little while later. Both had changed into pajama pants and, while Harley kept her bra on, neither one bothered to put an actual shirt on.

"Happy New Year, Lelouch," Harley said with a yawn as she tossed her leg over him and snuggled into his chest.

' _Happy New Year, indeed_ ,' Lelouch thought as he pulled Harley closer and tangled his leg with hers. He gazed at her fondly for a moment before planting a kiss on top of her head.

"Happy New Year, Harley."

* * *

 **Ending Notes: I really do hope this chapter makes up for me having been MIA for so long!**

 **We've just got one more fluffy chapter left before Lelouch gets his memory back! I really wanted to do a Valentine's Day chapter for Lelouch and Harley, and I also wanted to do a chapter where Lelouch gets sick, so I figured I'd just combine the two!**

 **As always, feedback and constructive criticism are always welcome! Thank you all so much for reading and sticking with me! Geekinthepink, out!**


	18. Sick Days

**Author's Notes: In which Lelouch is the clingiest sick person on the planet. I know he's amazingly OOC in this chapter, but hopefully it's a cute OOC.**

* * *

' _Ugh, why now?_ ' Lelouch whined inwardly as he rolled onto his side. Ever since New Years, he and Harley had barely been able to keep away from each other for long, sneaking off to suck face whenever the mood struck them or skipping their first period class to...explore each other a bit more. Neither one had made any move to figure out what their relationship status was exactly (certainly _not_ because they were both a little afraid of how the other might respond, thank you very much) and Lelouch's patience was wearing thin. Luckily for him, Valentine's Day was quickly approaching and he figured it would be as good at time as any to figure out exactly how Harley felt and make his own feelings clear to her. He'd planned to cook her an elaborate dinner and somehow figure out a way to work their...arrangement into the conversation. What did he have to lose? After all, the worst she could say was that she didn't want a real relationship. There was no saying things couldn't continue as they had been.

Right?

Unfortunately, the fates had once again conspired against him. No sooner had he planned and purchased what he was going to cook for Harley did he succumb to the flu virus that had been making its way around campus. Rivalz and Shirley had already come down with a case and he'd taken great pains to make sure it didn't get to him, only for his efforts to come crashing down around him at the last moment. He'd woken up that morning with a fever, aches all over his body, and possibly the worst cough and congestion he'd ever experienced. Valentine's weekend was as good as ruined.

' _Nothing I can do about it now, I guess_ ,' Lelouch thought as he closed his eyes. ' _I might as well just try to get some sleep and hope this is over soon._ '

* * *

Harley shot out of her seat as soon as the bell for lunch sounded, a concerned frown marring her features as she made her way to the clubhouse. She hadn't seen or heard from Lelouch all morning. He normally skipped their first period class anyway, with or without her, but it was rare for him to be absent the entire morning and not say anything. She pulled her phone out of her bag, only for her frown to deepen when she saw that Lelouch hadn't returned her call from earlier that morning.

"Rolo!" Harley called when she saw the boy walking up to the clubhouse door, picking up her pace to fall in beside him. "Is everything okay? I mean, Lelouch wasn't in class this morning and he didn't return my call either..."

Rolo nodded. "He probably didn't hear his phone. I think he came down with that virus that's been going around lately. As far as I know, he's been asleep all morning."

"Is that all?" Harley asked, relief evident in her tone. "That's good. I was worried his gambling habits had caught up with him. Well, I'll get out of your hair then. Tell him I hope he gets better soon!"

"Wait a minute, Harley," Rolo said as Harley turned to walk back toward the school building. "Maybe you should stay here with Lelouch for a while. You'd probably do a better job taking care of him than I would; big brother never gets sick so I don't really have much experience to draw from. Besides, I bet he'd be happy to see you."

"You think so?" Harley asked, feeling her face heat up. "I mean, I don't want to bother him or anything."

"Trust me," Rolo insisted. "It'll probably make him the happiest he's been all day."

* * *

Lelouch coughed pitifully as he rolled onto his side again, facing away from his bedroom door. He'd managed to fall back to sleep that morning, only to wake himself up with a coughing fit. After about ten minutes, he realized he wasn't having any luck falling back to sleep and was about to sit up and figure out what he was going to make for lunch when he heard his door slide open. He heard someone take a couple steps into the room and rolled over to see Harley standing in the doorway.

"Harley?" he asked, his violet orbs lighting up just slightly. "Not that I'm unhappy to see you, but what are you doing here?"

Harley eyed him sympathetically. "I was worried when I didn't see you in class this morning, so I wanted to make sure you were okay. Rolo told me you weren't feeling well and I'd probably do a better job taking care of you than he would, so...here I am." Her gaze suddenly turned nervous. "If...that's okay with you? I mean, I don't wanna keep you resting or anything..."

"You should know better than that by now, Harley," Lelouch replied, trying to hide just how excited the thought of her 'taking care of him' was making him. "I won't force you to stay if you don't want to but...it'd be really nice if you did. It was pretty lonely this morning."

"Oh hush, Rolo said you were asleep for most of the morning," Harley retorted, a warm smile on her face as she sat on the edge of Lelouch's bed. "I get it, though; you'd be totally bored without my sparkling personality and killer jokes, right?"

"What would I ever do without them?" Lelouch snarked, rolling his eyes playfully.

Harley's smile widened as she leaned over and kissed his forehead. "Seriously though, I'll stay with you for as long as you want me to." She gently nuzzled her nose against his. "Have you eaten anything for lunch yet?" She waited until Lelouch shook his head before continuing. "Think you can stomach a grilled cheese and some soup?" She nuzzled his nose again when he nodded to her. "Great. I'll get started on those, then. And while you're eating, I'm gonna run back to my dorm and grab some clothes to change into. I'm not gonna stay in this uniform any longer than I have to."

"I dunno, I think the skirt looks good on you," Lelouch commented with a smirk.

"Oh hush, Sicky McSickerson. You aren't entirely wrong, though; the skirt _does_ look pretty good. And it'll look even better when I'm shimmying out of it," Harley retorted before standing and walking out of the bedroom with a smirk of her own.

' _That girl is going to be the death of me_ ,' Lelouch thought as he flopped back against his pillow.

* * *

"Where'd you disappear to today, Harley?" Rivalz asked as he, Harley, Shirley, and Milly sat in the Student Council room. "It's not like you to just up and vanish during afternoon classes."

"I'd bet you money it had something to do with Lelouch," Milly added, a teasing smile on her face.

"Kinda," Harley replied, rolling her eyes playfully. "Turns out he was absent today because he came down with that flu virus everyone's been getting. I went in to check on him at lunch today and told him I'd stay with him for as long as he wanted me there and now it looks like I'm camping out here this weekend." She caught Milly's increasingly amused stare and quickly added, "And for the record, I assumed he was just going to ask me to stay for a couple hours, if at all."

"You can't tell me that any of this is coming as a surprise to you, though," Milly commented. "Ever since we came back from winter break, you two haven't seemed to want to be apart for too long. And I've also noticed some...interesting marks on his neck-"

"I have absolutely no earthly clue what you're talking about," Harley threw out, nonchalantly waving her hand. She glanced at her phone before standing up and turning to leave. "I'd better be getting back soon, though. I promised Lelouch I wouldn't be gone for too long. I'll see you guys later!"

"Okay, there's totally something going on between them," Milly said once Harley was out of earshot. "And we need to find out what."

"What makes you so sure, Prez?" Shirley asked quickly. "If there was something going on, I'm sure Lulu and Harley would have told us."

"Oh please, Lelouch never tells us anything!" Rivalz exclaimed as Shirley glanced worriedly toward the door Harley had just exited.

* * *

"Are you feeling any better?" Harley asked as she walked back into Lelouch's room, the door sliding shut behind her. She carefully placed her head against his forehead, smiling when she noticed that his fever had ebbed a bit.

Lelouch gave a noncommittal grunt in response, holding his arms out toward her and returning her smile when she kicked her shoes off to lay down next to him.

"Are you sure having me next to you like this is a good idea?" Harley asked. "Not that I have a problem with it, but won't the extra body heat just make your fever spike again?"

"Don't know, don't care," Lelouch replied, pulling Harley against his chest. "I just know that I need to have you close right now."

"Who knew you were so mushy when you get sick," Harley commented. "I think I like this side of you." The pair lay nestled together in comfortable silence before Harley spoke again. "So, um, I noticed when I was making your lunch earlier today... You've got quite a bit of food stocked up in there. Is the Student Council planning another party I don't know/forgot about?"

"Oh, that? Ah, well...," Lelouch stammered, glancing away from Harley as his cheeks flushed pink. "I was...kind of...hoping to make you a really nice dinner... You know, since it's Valentine's Day and all that... But then I got sick and...I guess there's not much of a point now, is there?"

Harley's smile grew warmer as she nuzzled her head underneath Lelouch's chin. "You fluffy little cinnamon roll! You're too sweet for your own good, you know that." She planted a gentle kiss on his neck. "I agree that we probably won't be able to do the dinner until you're feeling better but...maybe instead of canceling it, we can just take a rain-check?" She carefully reached up and began running her fingers through his hair, closing her eyes as she did so. "And...just so you know...you don't have to do anything special for me; I'm happy just to spend time with you at all."

The feeling of Harley's fingers on his scalp rendered Lelouch too relaxed to properly reply; he settled on a pleased rumbling sound and tightening his grip around Harley's waist. It wasn't long before both of them felt their eyelids begin to droop and Lelouch was almost asleep when he felt Harley stretch up and kiss the tip of his nose before snuggling against his chest again.

* * *

The next afternoon saw Lelouch pressed against Harley's side as she sat up in his bed, one hand holding a book and the other gently massaging his scalp. They'd been like this for most of the day; Harley had skipped class again to take care of him and he was more than happy to have her to himself for an extended period of time. He let out a happy sigh as he wrapped an arm around her waist. He was right on the verge of sleep when his bedroom door opened.

"Hey, Lelouch!" Rivalz called, shattering the peaceful atmosphere as he, Milly, and Shirley all poured into the room.

Lelouch barely suppressed a groan at the interruption, burying his face against Harley's side to keep his disappointment from showing. That same disappointment only magnified when he felt Harley's fingers cease their ministrations on his scalp.

"We're sorry to just barge in like this, you guys," Shirley apologised, quickly glancing at Harley and Lelouch's position and then between Harley's hand on Lelouch's head and Lelouch's arm around Harley's waist. "But we just wanted to see if you were feeling any better, Lulu."

' _Certainly didn't stop you from barging in, though, did it,_ ' Lelouch thought, tightening his grip on Harley's waist before lifting up his head, a fake smile plastered on his face. "I'm starting to feel a little better. I guess that's to be expected, though." He glanced up at Harley. "I've been in pretty good hands."

"Certainly looks that way," Milly commented, her eyebrow quirked and an amused smile on her face. She and Harley exchanged a quick glance before she began ushering Rivalz and Shirley out of the room. "Well, we've checked up on him and clearly he's doing fine, so we'd best get going! Hope you feel better soon, Lelouch!"

"Hang on a sec, Prez," Shirley said, turning back to Lelouch and Harley. "Uh...Harley... You know, if you want, I could watch over Lulu for a while. I mean, if you need a break or something."

Harley opened her mouth to reply, only to let out a surprised squeak when Lelouch threw his leg over her lap. She sent him a look of amused disbelief before looking back at Shirley. "Well, I guess that answers that. I appreciate the offer, Shirley, but it looks like I'm not going anywhere."

"Well, looks like the infirm has spoken!" Milly commented, pushing Rivalz and Shirley out of the room. "We'll see you guys later, okay."

"Shit, dude," Harley said once she was confident their friends had left the area. "You really weren't kidding about the lack of privacy, were you?"

"I told you so," Lelouch replied, pulling Harley to lay down with him. "It never fails; at least one of them always barges in right when things are getting comfortable."

* * *

Lelouch's condition rapidly improved over the weekend, so much so that by Sunday he was nearly back at one hundred percent. While he was relieved that this miserable sickness was finally over, he was less than thrilled at the thought of sleeping without Harley again. It had only been a few days, but he had grown used to feeling her warmth next to him and waking up to her face and he wasn't looking foreward to going without it again.

However, it looked like Harley was thinking along similar lines because she didn't appear to be in any hurry to leave come Sunday night.

"You know, I should probably get back to my dorm," Harley said, making no move to pull out of Lelouch's embrace whatsoever. "I think I've imposed on you enough for one weekend."

"Or you can stay here for another night," Lelouch suggested. "Besides, if you think spoiling me rotten the way you did this weekend is 'imposing', then you can come and stay here every weekend."

Harley laughed. "Still, I should probably be a responsible guest and take my leave." Once again, she made no move to get up. "Any second now."

"Uh-huh," Lelouch commented dryly.

"I'm totally gonna do it."

"I believe in you."

"I'm about to move," Harley said with a yawn, closing her eyes and snuggling further into Lelouch's side.

"I'm sure you are," Lelouch replied, pulling her close and resting his head on top of hers.

"Just...gotta...," she murmured as sleep quickly began overtaking her, assisted by Lelouch rubbing his hand up and down her back. It didn't take long before she was asleep once again.

Lelouch settled back against the pillow, placing a gentle kiss to the top of Harley's head. "Sleep well, love. And thank you for everything."

* * *

 **Ending Notes: And with that, we conclude the saga of filler fluff. Lelouch is going to get his memory back in the next chapter, including all memories of...yandereness...over Harley. That reaction's gonna be fun to write.**

 **Once again, please feel free to leave any feedback or constructive criticism that you might have! Thank you all so much for reading! Geekinthepink, out!**


	19. Interlude: Harley and Graham

**Author's Notes: Sorry to have been away so long! I hadn't really been motivated to work on this story for a while, but I hope this interlude will help make up for the absence. I'd wanted to write something like this for a while now but couldn't think of a good place for it. This chapter switches between Graham and Harley's POVs, so I hope it's not too confusing.**

 **Don't worry; there's some Harlouch at the end! It's even kinda sorta NSFWish.**

* * *

He was following her. She knew he was following her and that he had been for some time now. It was rare that Harley left the Ashford campus but her father had asked her to check the progress of the latest Knightmare prototypes at the Area 11 factory and it wasn't as if she could refuse a request from him. She noticed that a man had begun following her shortly after she left the factory, but didn't turn around to look at him. She already had a good idea of who it was; her father had recently let one of the factory overseers go for stealing money. Out of the corner of her eye, Harley saw the man pull something shiny from his coat. She smirked and glanced up toward the rooftops. Sure enough, a familiar figure was keeping pace with her, jumping from roof to roof.

Harley was brought out of her thoughts when she heard the man quicken his pace to catch up to her and felt something sharp press against her back.

"Get into that alleyway, now," the man ground out. "Now! Move your ass, bitch."

* * *

Wherever Harley went, Graham was never far behind. He may not have been able to remain near her while she was on campus, but he took his role as her butler and protector very seriously when it came to her ventures off-campus. He probably noticed Jackson following Harley even before she did, but he was able to pick up the shift in her behavior when she clued in; she kept checking her peripheral vision and she seemed to be keeping an eye open for any accomplices the man might have.

Not that any of that was necessary; all she had do was give him the order and Graham would cut down as many people as he had to. Just the same, he was curious how Harley was going to handle this. He had heard about the antics during the hotel jacking, but this wasn't really a situation where Harley needed to be drawing attention to herself.

* * *

Harley remained silent, but did as she was told. Once the two of them were inside the alley, she finally turned to face the man. He looked to be fairly young, late thirties at the oldest, and Harley noted that it also looked as though he hadn't slept or showered in a few days either.

"Good to see ya, Jeremy," Harley chirped with a smile. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"It's Jackson," the man growled.

Harley shrugged. "Whatever. Why the hell did you drag me into this alley?"

"Your father ruined my life," Jackson replied. "Now I can't find a job. Nobody will hire me because of your father."

"You were the one that was stealing, Justin-"

"Jackson!"

"Mike. Anyway, you were the one that decided to steal from my dad," Harley retorted. "I honestly don't know what you were expecting to happen, but you're an idiot if you think that any of your problems are his fault."

* * *

Graham couldn't stop himself from internally gushing over his friend. Harley used to be such a wallflower; a shy little thing with next to no self-esteem, despite her standing in Brittanian society. She wouldn't have dreamed of speaking to anyone like that a few years ago (and likely would have vented her true feelings to him at a later point), but she was slowly becoming more open about how she truly felt. As much as he hated to admit it, Harley's time with the Student Council, and Lelouch by extension, really seemed to be doing her some good. Still...even if Harley was able to talk a big game, it didn't mean she felt as tough as she sounded.

He drew a breath and activated the power of his left eye. Sure enough, he wasn't able to sense any fear when he looked at her. Graham had a unique ability to read a person's state of mind by utilizing the power of his left eye and he was able to gauge their intentions based on what he saw. If he concentrated hard enough on one person, his ability could potentially be used across several hundred miles; he could read Harley's from anywhere in the Tokyo Settlement and that was how he always seemed to know when she needed him. He wasn't entirely sure when he had obtained this power or its exact nature but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. He turned his power toward the man currently threatening his mistress and was unsurprised at the amount of resentment and murderous intent radiating from the man. Graham could tell that What's-His-Face had every intention of using that knife he had on him. And that absolutely could not happen.

"Shut up, you stupid whore!" Jackson yelled as he began to prowl toward her. "Count Brevard ruined my life, so I'll have to end yours in exchange!"

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that!" Graham announced, finally making his presence known as he jumped down from the rooftop.

"Who the hell are you?" Jackson asked.

The redhead smiled. "Me? I'm your executioner. You see, my entire job description is 'protect Harley Brevard...by any means necessary'. And I take my job _very_ seriously."

"So you're just like that old man that always follows the Count around," Jackson realized. "Just another one of the Brevard family's pawns."

"I have no interest in making small-talk with you. Your existence is pitiful and I'm going to see to it that you rot in hell where you belong," Graham promised, his eyes shimmering with unrestrained bloodlust as he looked back at Harley. "Just give the word, my dear."

The smirk never left Harley's lips. "I can already tell that he's not going to be reasoned with. Do it."

* * *

Graham sighed happily as he cleaned the blood off of his chainsaw some time later. "I do appreciate you letting me take that idiot out, Harley."

Harley shrugged. "Like I said, he wasn't going to listen to reason. Even if I told you to let him live, he'd just keep coming after me. There's a pretty good chance he'd have found a way onto the Ashford campus and that could have put the other students in danger, too." She glanced at her phone. "Speaking of, I should probably get back. I've got a test in the morning and I still have to take a shower before I get to bed."

"Just a shower?" Graham asked. "You aren't going to study?"

Harley snorted. "It's physics. I don't need to."

* * *

Harley walked back into her dorm room after a rather lengthy shower. No matter how many times she witnessed Graham's method of protection, it always left her feeling dirty afterward for ordering it. She was pulled rather quickly from her thoughts when she noticed a familiar figure lounging on her bed. She rolled her eyes playfully. "I thought we agreed that you'd wait until I texted you before you came over."

Lelouch shrugged, turning onto his side so Harley could change into her nightgown. "You were taking too long. I got bored."

"How did you get in here anyway?" Harley asked as she snuggled up next to him once she'd finished changing. "Even if you'd somehow conned one of the other girls into letting you in, you shouldn't have been able to get into my room without me."

"Well, it wasn't really that hard considering you left your window open. Again," Lelouch retorted, turning back and wrapping his arms around Harley's waist. "You really need to stop doing that, by the way. Eventually, someone's going to find their way in here who isn't as friendly as I am."

"Yeah, I'll get right on that," Harley replied before she began peppering Lelouch's neck with kisses. "I'm a little more focused on you at the moment."

"Mmm, so you are," Lelouch rumbled, clearly pleased. "I wouldn't have it any other way." He reached a hand up to gently fondle Harley's breast, smirking when he felt her arch into him. "Have I ever told you that I love how responsive you are?" he asked, flicking his finger over her nipple.

"You m-might have mentioned it a few t-times," Harley stammered, only to gasp when she felt Lelouch move his other hand up, fingers now caressing both of her nipples.

"I wonder what other sounds I can get you to make," Lelouch mused, leaning down to kiss her chest. "You've told me already that you aren't ready to have sex just yet, but you'll tell me if I do anything else that makes you uncomfortable, right?"

Harley could only manage a shaky nod before she pulled Lelouch back up and pressed her lips to his. It didn't seem like she'd be getting too much sleep tonight after all.

* * *

 **Ending Notes: Graham's devotion to Harley really makes me wonder how he'd react if anything bad ever did happen to her. Hmm...**

 **I've decided to leave how much Harley knows about Graham's Geass open to interpretation. I also know that Harley's a bit of a dick in this chapter, but I can't really see her reacting well to someone doing anything that could harm her father or Brevard Corp.**

 **Thank you all so much for reading! As always, feedback and constructive criticism are more than welcome! Geekinthepink, out!**


	20. Zero's Resurrection

**Author's Notes: Happy New Year, everyone! As I said on my profile, I honestly didn't mean to go MIA for so long and I really appreciate you guys being so patient. I've made it my New Year's Resolution to do my best to not take for-fucking-ever to update my stories and, to that end, I'm going to be focusing my attention on this one for the time being. Hopefully this will make up for my accidental hiatus.**

 **I don't think I need to tell when this chapter takes place.**

* * *

"Harley...what are we?" Lelouch asked as he pulled said brunette against his chest as they settled on her bed, nuzzling into her hair as he did so.

Harley quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I mean are we, you know..." He looked away nervously but refused to let go of Harley. "Together? Like in the romantic sense? Because I'd...I'd like us to be. I might be assuming too much, but I kind of get the feeling that you don't just see me as a friend, either."

"Are you serious right now, Lelouch?" Harley asked as she looked up at him, her grey eyes alight with a mixture of delight and surprise. "You really want to be with me like that?" A relieved laugh escaped her lips. "Oh man, please tell me you're not just pulling my leg. I've been trying to figure out how you felt for a while now, but I was never entirely sure."

"Are _you_ being serious right now?" Lelouch deadpanned. "All those hints I dropped and you didn't pick up on any of it?"

Harley shrugged. "I thought you were just being a sweetheart."

"Right, because I act like that toward all my female friends," Lelouch snarked, his eyes sparking playfully. "If you were curious, how come you never said anything?"

"At first it was because I didn't want to risk things getting weird between us if you didn't like me back," Harley replied. "I mean, you could have any girl at Ashford that you want and-"

"I've already told you that you're my favorite," Lelouch reminded her, moving his head down to nuzzle at her neck.

"And I've already told you that that could mean there were others," Harley pointed out as she ran her fingers through his hair. "I wasn't entirely sure if you were willing to settle into a relationship with me or if I was just misinterpreting the signals you were giving me due to my own wishful thinking."

Lelouch let out an exasperated sigh but moved to press his forehead against hers. "Harley, I've never cared about anyone the way I care about you. I'd never even entertained the idea of having a romantic relationship with someone until I met you." He paused for a moment, mulling over what Harley had said before. "You said 'at first' a second ago. That implies there's another reason that you never brought the subject up."

"Yeah, about that," Harley began hesitantly. "You know how I stop by my dad's factory from time to time and check up on everything?" Lelouch nodded in response and Harley continued on. "Well, one of the more recent times I went down there, I...had a run-in with a former employee who had been carrying a grudge against my dad."

"And?" Lelouch pressed.

"There was a...disagreement of sorts," Harley replied carefully.

"Don't lie to me, Harley. Tell me what happened," Lelouch urged. "This person didn't hurt you, did they?"

"Of course not," Harley replied with a shake of her head. "He tried to back in me into a corner and take some sort of revenge but Graham put an end to that quickly enough."

"I'm sure I'll regret asking this but what did he do?" Lelouch asked.

"It's not important," Harley dismissed. "All that matters is that the guy won't be able to pull another stunt like that."

"Then what's the problem?" Lelouch probed.

"The whole thing got me thinking and...I think it would be best if we waited until after graduation to start any sort of official romantic relationship," Harley replied. Lelouch opened his mouth to argue but Harley gently pressed a finger to his lips, effectively silencing him. "Let me explain first before you start arguing with me. We both know that this isn't the first time something like this has happened to me and it probably won't be the last. If Zero hadn't been there during the hotel jacking and Graham hadn't been with me this last time, I might not have walked away from either of those scenarios. Graham rarely leaves my side when I'm off campus and I know he's a pretty major deterrent to anyone who would try to harm me. My fear is that if I start dating someone, anybody that would want leverage over my family would turn their attention to that person."

"You're afraid someone would come after me if we were together?" Lelouch asked.

Harley nodded. "You or Rolo. Graham's a force to reckoned with, to be sure, but I know he isn't going to go out of his way to help you, even if I order him to. I just...I don't think I could bear it if you or your brother were put in danger because of me. The general that led the hotel jacking was more than willing to hurt Milly, Nina, and Shirley if I didn't do what he said and I really don't want to see you or Rolo in the same position."

"That's true," Lelouch agreed. He was well aware that he'd invoked the ire of the crimson-haired butler but, for the life of him, couldn't figure out how he'd done it. "But why do we have to wait until graduation? You're not likely to be any less of a target then."

"But I'm going back to the Homeland once I've graduated," Harley explained. "If you came with me and we started a relationship at that point, I'd have access to a much larger security detail, including a few bodyguards that aren't so selective about which orders they follow."

Lelouch was silent for a moment before he gently pressed his lips to Harley's forehead. "While I think the idea of a bodyguard is a bit excessive, I understand where you're coming from. As much as I don't like it, waiting until we graduate is probably the best course of action."

Harley smiled, letting out a breath she wasn't aware she was holding. "Thank you for understanding, Lelouch. I know that I'm asking a lot and I want you to know that I don't expect you to wait for me. If you decided you wanted to be with someone else who was less of a hassle, I wouldn't hold it against you."

"You dumbass," Lelouch chided, gently flicking Harley's forehead. "I don't think you're asking too much at all. Sure, it's not the answer I was hoping for but you're just telling me we can't date _right now_ , not that we can't date at all. I'd wait for you for as long as I had to."

"Well I appreciate it just the same," Harley said, winding her arms around Lelouch's waist and reaching up to capture his lips in a kiss.

* * *

"And now Lulu's giving all of his bad habits to Rolo," Shirley complained as she, Milly, Rivalz, and Harley picked through various gardening supplies for Milly's rooftop garden. Lelouch and Rolo had left for Babel Tower earlier that morning and Shirley was none too pleased about the younger Lamperouge getting caught up in his brother's gambling habit.

"Admit it, Shirley," Milly replied, looking up from her gardening book as Shirley turned her head. "You're worried about your darling Lulu."

"No, I am not!" Shirley protested.

"There she goes again," Rivalz commented, a teasing smirk on his face as he looked at the redhead over his shoulder.

"Oh whatever," Shirley huffed. She rolled her eyes dismissively but there was no mistaking the blush on her face.

"So how do you feel about it?" Milly asked, turning her attention to Harley.

"Hmm?" Harley asked, finally looking up from the plants she'd been tending to. "Sorry, I was lost in these plants. How do I feel about what?"

"Lulu's gambling problem and the fact that he's dragging his younger brother along with him," Shirley clarified.

Harley shrugged. "What Lelouch does in his spare time isn't really any of our business, is it? Besides, everyone needs a hobby."

"But his 'hobby' could end up getting him and Rolo killed!" Shirley argued. "I would think as his friend you'd be a little more concerned."

"I don't know why you sound so surprised, Shirley," Rivalz chimed in. "The girl's got a butler that gets his kicks out of cutting people apart and she doesn't have a problem with him. Compared to that, a gambling habit doesn't seem like a big deal."

"Besides that, Rolo's perfectly capable of speaking up if he doesn't want to tag along with his brother. Can't really fault Lelouch for Rolo tagging along," Harley added. "Personally, I think Lelouch's vices make him more interesting. If he were perfect, truly perfect, he'd be downright dull and I absolutely can't stand boring men."

Shirley sighed. "I don't think I'll ever understand you, Harley."

"Somehow I think I'll manage to live with that," Harley replied, turning back to the plants.

Rivalz whistled lowly before leaning over to Milly. "Did it just get chillier over here or is it just me?" he whispered.

"No, Rivalz. It's not just you," Milly whispered back. "Something tells me-"

A loud explosion rocked the area before Milly could finish her thought. Startled, the group looked in the direction of the sound and could only stand in stunned silence when they saw a plume of purple smoke pouring from the upper levels of Babel Tower.

"W-What's going on?" Shirley asked. "Is this some kind of publicity stunt?"

"Harley," Milly began, a look of terrified shock forming on her face. "See if you can get a hold of Lelouch."

"Way ahead of you," Harley answered, holding her phone to her ear. She shook her head after a moment. "He's not answering. It keeps going to voicemail."

"Well, keep trying," Milly replied. "We'll head to the clubhouse in the meantime and see if the news has anything to say about what's going on over there."

* * *

Harley continued to make an effort to contact Lelouch and Rolo as everyone made their way to the Student Council clubhouse, but she was sent to voicemail each time. Though she managed to keep her practiced mask of stoicism on her face, determined not to let her friends see just how worried she was about Lelouch, her inner panic continued to grow the longer she was unable to reach him. Her panic doubled when the news reports confirmed that the attack on Babel Tower was indeed an act of terror and that there had been reports that it was being perpetrated by members of the Black Knights that had managed to escape the purge.

' _Okay, just breathe,_ ' Harley thought as she tried to keep herself calm. ' _Worrying isn't going do you or Lelouch any good. He's the smartest guy you've ever met; you've just got to have faith that he managed to find a way out of this mess for himself and Rolo._ ' Her head snapped up at the sound of another explosion and she looked toward the television to see that part of the tower had come crashing down on top of the current Viceroy's motorcade. ' _I swear to God, Lelouch, if you end up dead I'll pull you back and beat the crap out of you before sending you back to Hell myself._ '

"Have you had any luck reaching him, Harley?" Milly asked anxiously.

Harley shook her head. "No. I haven't been able to get through to either of them."

"What do we do, guys? What if Lulu was really killed in there?" Shirley whimpered. "I...I don't know what I'll do if-" She was cut off by the sound of static coming from the television. Everyone turned toward the monitor only to see that the news broadcast was being overridden and a very familiar figure swam into view.

"I am...Zero."

"He's back?!" Rivalz exclaimed.

"It can't be," Harley muttered. "It's not possible. Zero was captured and killed a year ago. There's no way..."

"People of Japan. I have returned!" Zero continued. "Hear me, Brittania! All you who have power, heed my words carefully! I am burdened by sorrow. War and discrimination, malicious deeds carried out by the strong; the same abhorrent interplay of tragedy and comedy. The world has not changed, the people still suffer! That is why the resurrection of Zero was necessary! So long as the strong oppress the weak, my rebellion will continue to grow. It begins today with the divine punishment I have wrought upon the inept and foolish Viceroy Calares!"

"Is it...Is it really him?" Harley asked, her eyes never leaving the screen.

"He certainly has the same flair for the dramatic," Milly observed. "I don't think that's something just anybody could match."

"I shall fight against all those who abuse their power!" Zero continued. "Therefore, once again, here and now I declare the establishment of the United States of Japan! Starting from this moment, this room shall be the first dominion of the USJ! Race, ideology, and religion will not matter. Being a citizen will have but one requirement: to do that which is just!"

* * *

Rivalz sighed as the broadcast was finally cut off by the news network. "So now Zero and the Black Knights are back? I gotta tell ya, I really don't think I can handle any more excitement today."

Harley nodded and stood up. "Give me just a sec. I'm going to try Lelouch again. Maybe I'll get through this time." The group watched anxiously as Harley pulled her phone out and quickly dialed Lelouch's number. She held the phone to her ear and was attempting to keep her breathing steady when a familiar voice answered her.

"Harley?" Lelouch asked. "Great timing. I was just about to call you. Are you okay?"

"I should be asking you that," Harley replied, relief evident in her voice. "I've been trying to reach you ever since the first explosion but you didn't answer. Please tell me you and Rolo weren't caught up in that mess."

"No, we managed to get away before things got bad," Lelouch replied. Harley nodded to the other members of the council, all of whom slumped down in their seats and sighed in relief. "The military scrambled communications in the area, though, so I didn't see where you'd called until after everything was said and done. Given the circumstances, I thought it would be safer for Rolo and me to lay low for a while before we made our way back to Ashford. We're both alright, though, and we'll be back soon." He was silent for a moment before his voice took on a more teasing tone. "It's good to know you care though, Harley. I don't think I've ever heard you sound so happy to talk to me."

"Oh shove it, you asshat!" Harley exclaimed as a pink blush washed over her face. "I was just worried that I'd have to find myself a new class-cutting buddy if anything ever happened to you. Good company is hard to find these days so it's easier for me to keep you around."

Lelouch only chuckled in response. "I understand. Well, you'll be glad to know that I'm safe and sound so you don't have to go scouting just yet." His voice took on a much warmer tone when he spoke again. "I'll be back soon, Harley. Everything's okay. I promise."

Harley nodded, a warm smile on her face as she spoke. "Yeah. I'll see you soon, Lelouch."

* * *

Lelouch sighed as he hung up the phone. The trip to Babel Tower had truly been an eye-opening one. All of his overwritten memories had been restored, as had his Geass power and his identity as Zero. Though he was still disappointed with Harley's answer regarding their relationship, he knew that ultimately her stance on things had worked out in his favor as well; forming an official relationship with a member of the nobility not only had the potential of drawing the unwanted attention of his father, but increased the likelihood that he would be outed as Zero as well.

His chat with Harley had also unearthed a few memories that he would have preferred to keep covered up. His initial behavior towards her, prior to the Black Rebellion, appalled him and would likely haunt him for the rest of his days. As furious as he was that his father had the gall to tamper with Harley's memories as if they were nothing, a small part of him was grateful that she couldn't remember how outright creepy he had been.

' _It's probably for the best that she doesn't remember,_ ' he thought as he made his way back to school. ' _Still, I can't deny that I owe you the biggest apology of my life, my sweet little lamb._ '

* * *

 **Ending Notes: Uh oh, spaghettios! Zero's back and so are all of Lelouch's memories, up to and including what a freakin' creeper he was early on! The next chapter's probably going to have a little more Harlouch fluff though, because I absolutely love writing those two dorks together.**

 **That little bit of tension between Shirley and Harley wasn't initially planned. While I do think that some tension between them is likely, especially given how clingy and possessive Shirley has been shown to be, I hadn't really intended to show any. That bit just seemed to fit so well though and I couldn't resist. I'd really like to hear your all's thoughts on it; do you think there should be more tension between them or would you rather I avoid it?**

 **Thank you all so much for reading and, as always, feedback and constructive criticism are more than welcome! You guys are the best! Geekinthepink, out!**


	21. What Is Love (Baby Don't Hurt Me)

**Author's Notes: Here's that fluff I promised! I actually ended rewriting most of this chapter; no matter how many times I read over it, it just didn't sound right to me and I didn't feel entirely comfortable posting it until I'd fixed it. Hopefully, that explains the delay in getting it to you guys well enough.**

* * *

Harley's head had been spinning ever since Zero's return the previous day. Not for the reason she'd been expecting either; she didn't really care one way or the other that Zero had been resurrected. She'd always be grateful to him for saving her life during the hotel incident, but she would never have forgiven him if his actions had ended up causing Lelouch harm. No matter what she did, she kept replaying the events of yesterday over and over in her head, the only difference being that Lelouch didn't survive the assault on Babel Tower. She could feel her entire world stop whenever she got to that point and even though she knew it was irrational and completely irrelevant, she couldn't stop herself from asking 'what if'.

This irrational behavior, of course, led to another question: Why did the thought of never seeing Lelouch again bother her so much? Of course he was her closest friend and, naturally, Harley didn't _want_ anything to happen to him but the thought of him being killed in that attack made her physically sick. She'd been so preoccupied with her thoughts that she was barely able to focus on classes and wasn't able to give Lelouch much more than a shaky affirmative when he asked if she was feeling okay. Thankfully, the day passed quickly enough and Harley was about to head back to her room to try to sort out her thoug-

"Harley!" Milly called as she latched onto the girl's arm, effectively startling her from her musings. "Where are you going? You promised you'd help Lelouch and me cook for the dinner tonight."

"Dinner?" Harley asked absently.

Milly sighed. "The one we're having to celebrate Lelouch and Rolo coming back alive, remember? You can't have forgotten already."

"Oh right, that dinner," Harley mumbled as she snapped her fingers in recognition. "Tell you what, Milly. You go ahead and tell them to get started without me. I've got to call my Dad real quick but I'll be there as soon as I'm done."

"Okay," Milly replied hesitantly. "Is...Is everything okay, Harley? You've been acting kind of off all day."

"Yeah, I'm okay," Harley replied tiredly. "I've just...had a lot to think about, I guess. That's part of why I need to call my Dad." She let out a quick sigh. "You go on ahead and I'll meet you guys when I'm off the phone with him."

Milly nodded, turning in the direction of the clubhouse. "Alright. Well good luck, I guess. See you in a bit!"

* * *

"Hey, pumpkin!" Tony greeted when he picked up his daughter's call. "What's going on?"

"Hey, Dad," Harley replied as she sat down on her bed. "You know me; I'm just busy dealing with things way beyond my maturity level. I was calling because I needed to ask you about something. Have you heard about what happened at Babel Tower yesterday?"

"About Zero coming back? Hell yes, it's been all over the news," Tony answered.

"And you remember my friend Lelouch, right?" Harley asked.

"Of course," Tony confirmed. "How are things going with him?"

"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about," Harley began. "See, he was caught up in that mess at the Tower and-"

"Is he okay?!" Tony cut in. "What was he even doing at Babel Tower in the first place? You guys were supposed to be in class."

Harley sighed. "It's not important why he was there; all that matters is that he was. He came out of it unscathed but my head has been an absolute mess ever since. I can't stop asking myself what I would have done if he hadn't made it back. I've made myself sick over it and even though I keep telling myself that it doesn't matter because he made it out and he is okay, I just can't stop myself from worrying about it happening again. I don't know why the thought of something happening to him bothers me so much more than the thought of something similar happening to my other friends. I...I just-"

"You love him," Tony stated.

"W-What?" Harley stammered. "No. No. Dad, don't be ridiculous. I don't-"

"You just told me that the thought of something bad happening to him makes you feel ill," Tony pointed out. "And that no matter what you do, you can't stop yourself from worrying about him."

"Well yeah, but that doesn't mean-" Harley started to argue.

"Tell me, how do you feel when you're with him?" Tony asked. "Does being near him make you feel like everything's going to be okay? Like he's a piece of you that you didn't know was missing until he came into your life?"

Harley thought long and hard about her father's words. It was no secret that she was attracted to Lelouch, not just physically but also to the fact that he was the only person at Ashford that she could have an intelligent conversation with. Even so, she'd simply written her feelings off as mere infatuation; she hadn't even entertained the idea that they might run deeper than that. But as she considered her father's words, she realized that somewhere over the course of their long talks, their fun in the Student Council, cutting classes together, and the nights she spent with him beside her, her feelings had become something more.

"So this whole time...I've been falling for him?" she asked.

"Mmhmm," Tony hummed.

"But how did you know?" Harley inquired.

"Princess, I saw it coming from a mile away," Tony answered, his tone warm. "You've never looked at anyone the way you looked at him when your friends came to see us at the factory." His voice took on a more playful tone. "For the record, while I do think you're making the right choice to wait to start a relationship until after you graduate, I wholeheartedly approve of the two of you getting together. You two would make some really pretty grandkids."

"Oh my God, Dad!" Harley exclaimed, a bright red blush washing over her face. "No. Just...just no! We haven't even-whatever! I don't want to think about that right now!"

Tony laughed. "Just thought I should let you know."

"I'm hanging up now," Harley stated, her face still red.

"Okay, okay. I'll talk to you soon, princess," Tony replied. "I love you."

Harley smiled. "Love you too, Dad. Talk to you soon."

* * *

"President, can I ask something?" Lelouch asked as he, Milly, Rivalz, and Shirley stood in the clubhouse kitchen, getting things ready for the dinner.

"Certainly," Milly chirped. "Although I may choose not to answer you."

"So today, we _are_ celebrating Rolo and me coming back alive?" Lelouch inquired.

Milly nodded. "Mmhmm. You two escaped that terror attack alright. Shirley was practically out of her mind, the poor girl." Shirley looked toward them at the sound of her name, only to rush toward Milly, flailing her arms and shouting with a blush on her face, when Milly continued. "'Oh, if my Lulu's been killed, I'll-'" That was as far as Milly got before Shirley reached her and clamped both hands over the blonde's mouth.

"Hey, where is Rolo, anyway?" Rivalz asked. "Harley too, for that matter. I know you said she was talking to her father, but she sure is taking a long time."

"She told me she's had a lot on her mind; she probably just wanted to talk to her father to try to figure things out," Milly replied, her voice muffled by Shirley's hands.

"Now that you mention, she has been acting pretty strangely today, even for her," Rivalz agreed.

"As for Rolo, I spoke with him but you know," Milly continued. "The boy's a lot more sensitive than his older brother."

"That's partly why he doesn't have any friends, isn't it?" Rivalz commented.

"You should simply say he's quiet," Shirley corrected.

Milly leveled her gaze on the redhead. "Umm...not that I mind your dirty hands on my mouth but-"

"Oh, right. I'm sorry," Shirley apologized as she released her friend.

Lelouch frowned as he turned back to the food he was making. He clearly remembered his father rewriting Harley's memories in front of him, but it looked like she wasn't the only one; none of the other council members appeared to remember anything about Nunnally. Of more immediate concern to him was Harley's behavior. Lelouch had noticed how distant she'd been throughout the day; she had barely spoken to him during class and was hardly able to make eye contact with him when he'd asked if she was alright. He knew it was unlikely, but the overly cautious part of him was concerned that she may have somehow remembered that he was actually Zero. He remembered his father telling her as much just before he tampered with her memories and he wondered if it was possible that seeing Zero on the news broadcast could trigger her memory of that conversation. It was definitely a long shot, but if it was true he had to figure out what to do about it. The most obvious solution would be to use his own Geass to make her forget again but, for some reason, the thought left a sour taste in his mouth. He couldn't quite understand it, but the idea of using his Geass on Harley for any reason made him feel immensely uncomfortable. Before he could dwell on the matter any further, the door to the kitchen slid open and said brunette walked in.

"Hey guys, I'm sorry I took so l-" Harley cut herself off as she looked around the room and took in the mess the group had made, amusement crossing her features. "Umm...do I want to know what happened here?"

"This is what happens when we have to have Shirley stand in for you, Harley," Lelouch replied, turning toward the girl with what he hoped was a convincing smile on his face.

The amused look on Harley's face fell slightly when her eyes locked with Lelouch's and she cast her gaze downward as she tied an apron on. "Well...I guess I'd better get to work, then. Where do you need me, Prez?"

"Would you mind decorating the black forest cake?" Milly asked.

"No problem," Harley agreed, walking to the cake placed next to the stove and setting to work.

"Hey," Lelouch whispered as he gently nudged Harley with his elbow. "Are you feeling okay? You've been acting kind of strange today."

"No. No, I-I haven't," Harley denied, still refusing to look at him, her voice equally quiet.

"You've barely said a word to me all day," Lelouch pointed out. "Even now, you won't look at me. Have I made you angry somehow?"

Harley sighed and shook her head, glancing behind them to make sure the others weren't listening. "No, you didn't. I...I just...You know what, it's not important."

"It is, though," Lelouch argued, gently resting his hand on Harley's shoulder. "You're obviously upset about something. If you tell me, I might be able to help you."

' _Oh trust me, you can help me more than you think,_ ' Harley thought before finally looking up into Lelouch's eyes. "Fine. If you really want to know, what happened yesterday freaked me out."

Lelouch quirked an eyebrow, studying Harley's expressions carefully. "Really? I figured you'd be happy that Zero was back."

"Who gives a rat's ass about Zero coming back?!" Harley asked, her expression angry and her voice a harsh whisper. "I was talking about the fact that you could have died. If Zero's return had meant your death, I'd find him and send him back to hell myself."

"But he saved you, didn't he?" Lelouch asked.

"Doesn't give him license to harm someone I care about," Harley retorted. Her expression softened. "I...I really could have lost you yesterday, Lelouch. I guess the reality didn't hit me until today but...I don't know what I would have done if something had happened to you. I can't stop wondering what would have happened if you didn't make it out of Babel Tower and-"

"Don't worry about that," Lelouch interrupted, placing his other hand on Harley's opposite shoulder and turning her to face him. "It doesn't matter what would've happened if I didn't make it out because I _did_. There's no sense in worrying yourself sick over it."

"I know you're right," Harley agreed. "I know it's stupid to fret over something that didn't happen but I just..."

"Hey," Lelouch began, pulling Harley away from the cake and into his chest. "I'm sorry I made you and everyone else worry. I can't change what happened but I can promise you that I'll be more careful from now on. In exchange, I need you to promise me that you won't keep fretting about this. Deal?"

Harley snorted but wrapped her arms around him as well and Lelouch could see the corners of her mouth turn upward. "Deal. But I swear that if you _do_ die on me, I'll drag you back from hell and kill you myself."

Lelouch nodded. "Fair enough." He let his shoulders sag just a bit; relief taking over his expression both at the fact that Harley _hadn't_ remembered that he was Zero and that she was more or less back to normal now. He looked down at the girl in his arms and rested his chin on the top of her head.

"So...are you two going to get back to cooking or should we leave you alone for a minute?" Milly asked, her voice teasing.

"Oh, right. Yeah. Sorry," Harley stammered as she and Lelouch quickly separated and went back to their tasks.

Milly giggled. "Are you sure you guys aren't a thing?"

"Not yet, we aren't," Lelouch replied. He leaned toward Harley, keeping his voice down so only she could hear him. "You're staying over here tonight, aren't you?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Harley quipped as she continued icing the cake. "Just because I was worried about you doesn't mean I've somehow relearned how to sleep without you."

* * *

 **Ending Notes: Well, we're over twenty chapters in and Harley has finally gotten to the point of accepting the 'L' word.**

 **Originally, the phone call with Tony wasn't going to happen and Harley was going to come to terms with her feelings on her own, but then I realized that Harley's already admitted that she's never been in love before and I started thinking that she might need a little help to figure out why she was feeling the way she was. Besides, I think giving her relationship with her father a little more depth was a nice touch.**

 **I know Lelouch's reaction is a bit irrational too, but he strikes me as the type of person who immediately jumps to the worst possible conclusion when he's faced with something like this.**

 **Thank you all so much for reading! As always, feedback and constant criticism are always welcome! Geekinthepink, out!**


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